EXCLUSIVE: Two far-left environmental groups — the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Climate Power — have conducted at least one internal training session on climate communication strategies for Biden administration appointees.
The training session, which took place on March 5, 2021, was revealed in Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's internal agency calendar which was obtained by the government watchdog group Americans for Public Trust (APT) and shared with Fox News Digital. Granholm attended the session and delivered opening remarks, her calendar showed.
The calendar noted that the attendees of the session would be "political appointees from all climate-related agencies" and that the purpose would be for LCV and ClimatePower to "conduct a training on how to message climate work in an impactful and persuasive way." Climate-related agencies include the Energy Department (DOE), Interior Department, Agriculture Department and Commerce Department.
"Why are dark money groups, bankrolled by a foreign billionaire, training Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on communication strategies?" APT executive director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital.
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"Instead of tackling issues that consumers care about — like lowering gas prices and being able to buy the kitchen appliance of their choice — Secretary Granholm continues to do the bidding of green energy extremists," Sutherland said. "This constant coordination is just another example of the tremendous influence dark money has on the Biden administration."
The DOE didn't respond to a request for comment.
Both LCV and Climate Power, which advocate for policies pushing an aggressive transition from fossil fuels to green energy sources like wind and solar, have received financially backing from massive liberal dark money groups, according to tax filings reviewed by Fox News Digital. Financial contributions to the two climate-focused organizations' cannot be traced to individual donors.
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"Climate Power integrates hard-hitting research, polling, state and national earned media, digital and paid media to influence the national conversation, embolden leaders to take immediate, bold climate action, and expose climate deniers and their oil and gas lobby allies," Climate Power states on its website.
"We influence policy, hold politicians accountable, and win elections," the LCV website adds. "This is how we fight to build a world with clean air, clean water, public lands, and a safe climate that are protected by a just and equitable democracy."
In 2021, the most recent year with data, LCV reported receiving $114.7 million in donations, a 48% increase compared to the $77.7 million it received a year earlier. The funding was fueled by massive donations from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a key cog in the billion-dollar Arabella network, and the Fund for a Better Future.
The Wyss Foundation, which was established by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, also gave money to the LCV in 2021. The Berger Action Fund, another nonprofit established by Wyss, has in turn pushed tens of millions of dollars to the Fund for a Better Future in recent years.
Molly McUsic, a member of LCV's board of directors, is the president of Wyss Foundation and a director on the board of the Berger Action Fund.
Climate Power, meanwhile, isn't an independent organization. Rather, the group is a project of the LCV, Center for American Progress (CAP) and Sierra Club, all of which have received massive donations from unknown donors, according to Influence Watch.
Climate Power has received millions of dollars from LCV and Fund for a Better Future, data compiled by OpenSecrets showed. The group also receives administrative backing from the Fund for a Better Future.
"Climate Power 2020 will change the politics of climate — pushing all candidates to aggressively campaign on climate action and holding science-denying campaigns accountable," CAP founder John Podesta, the current White House clean energy czar, said in 2020 after the group was founded.
Climate Power's original advisory board members included Podesta, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, LCV Chair Carol Browner, billionaire investor and liberal donor Tom Steyer, former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has since joined the board.
Since its founding, Climate Power has been active pushing Green New Deal reforms and giving large sums of money to Democratic candidates. During the 2022 midterm election, the group's political action committee gave $6.3 million to Democrats with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., alone receiving $1.6 million.
LCV and Climate Power didn't respond to requests for comment.
