“Between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2024, federal agencies like the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service paid an estimated $24.8 million in Equal Access to Justice Act awards, with roughly 76% of that going to environmental nonprofits instead of forest management or energy development projects. Likewise, Endangered Species Act fee-shifting payments totaled more than $20.2 million over the last 5 years.”
- Speaker
- Speaker A
- Timestamp
- 5:49 – 6:40
- Community
- Alaska News
- Captured at
- May 20, 2026
From the transcript
Make no mistake about it, the evidence of radical environmentalism's abuse of taxpayers' dollars is startling. Some litigation-focused preservationist nonprofit groups claim to provide free legal services, yet more than 40% of their annual funding derives from from legal representation and advice. In other words, half their budgets are paid for by taxpayer-funded settlements and attorney fees awards. Between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2024, federal agencies like the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service paid an estimated $24.8 million in Equal Access to Justice Act awards, with roughly 76% of that going to environmental nonprofits instead of forest management or energy development projects. Likewise, Endangered Species Act fee-shifting payments totaled more than $20.2 million over the last 5 years.
Related Coverage
House Republicans examine $24.8M in federal attorney fees to environmental groups
A House subcommittee heard testimony Wednesday on how environmental nonprofits receive millions in taxpayer-funded legal fee awards, with some groups deriving 40% of their funding from litigation settlements.
