Christopher Hohn, a British billionaire and hedge fund manager, is cutting off funding to left-wing groups and causes after a report by Americans for Public Trust (APT).
APT said in its report that the groups that received funding from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), which lists Hohn as its founder and chair of board, “pushed for nothing less than the complete radicalization of the U.S. political landscape.”
CIFF, which has a reported $6 billion endowment, is “heavily funded by Hohn’s nearly $60 billion activist hedge fund,” according to APT.
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In response to FOX Business’ request for comment, CIFF referred to its statement regarding the changes in funding.
CIFF announced on Wednesday that it would be redirecting funding to non-U.S. NGOs.
“Unfortunately, we are no longer confident in our understanding of the US policy environment for foreign funders of US NGOs, including for international work, which is our focus,” CIFF wrote. “Consequently, CIFF’s Board have decided that, as a precautionary measure, and until applicable laws and rules, and the execution of them, are made clearer by relevant authorities, CIFF should redirect its funding to, and restructure its contracts to be with, non-US NGOs.”
The organization noted in its update that multilateral institutions headquartered in the U.S. will not be affected by its funding shift.
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APT released a report late last month showing the CIFF funneled over $553 million into U.S. organizations from 2014 through 2023. The funding went to groups supporting causes like green energy and was used to bankroll climate litigation, as well as protests against the fossil fuel industry, according to the report.
APT also said money was given to a China-connected group, known as Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which is working to ban gas stoves. APT asserts that this is a violation of federal law barring foreign nationals from directly or indirectly influencing U.S. elections.
“Because there is little oversight and few restrictions on foreign giving to U.S.-based organizations, Hohn’s actions via CIFF are extremely questionable and murky. More investigations both on the state and federal levels are needed to determine to what extent any foreign giving laws and regulations may have been violated by Hohn and CIFF,” APT said in its report. It also called for reforms to prevent “undue foreign influence in U.S. policy fights.”
In addition to environmental causes, CIFF funded organizations that pushed for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, such as the New Venture Fund (NVF). APT reported that the NVF received $1.1 million from CIFF since 2016.
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APT said it compiled its report using annual reports from CIFF, tax returns of organizations that received funds from CIFF, media articles, “additional electronic sources” and legal records.
Beyond exposing CIFF’s funding of advocacy groups, APT also uncovered the charity’s alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As of 2017, CIFF is a registered NGO in China, according to APT, which noted that various Chinese government ministries monitor CIFF’s work in the country.
“The British nonprofit has given millions to various organizations directly under the auspices of the Chinese government, including the National Renewable Energy Center, the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Centre (FECO), and Tsinghua University, which conduct energy and military research. CIFF is also a member of the donor steering committee for the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT), which works in China to promote climate action. ICAT’s final report on a workshop in China was supported by CIFF, with numerous CCP officials contributing to its creation,” APT’s report reads.
APT also reports that the CIFF CEO Kate Hampton “maintained what appears to be a cozy relationship” with “green” CCP entities.
The APT report lists Energy Foundation China, World Resources Institute, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Natural Resources Defense Council, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, The Sunrise Project, Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, Environmental Defense Fund, Windward Fund, Ceres, RMI, NVF and ClimateWorks Foundation.
FOX Business reached out to each group for comment.
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