Consumers Research, an anti-responsible investing organization led by rightwing judicial activist Leonard Leo, has expanded its attacks to the agriculture sector, exploiting America’s farmers to push an anti-ESG agenda funded by billionaires at the helm of the oil and gas industry. As reported in The Hill, Consumers Research recently launched a new campaign and website, ESGkillsfarms.com, creating a hub for misinformation around responsible investing in a transparent effort to mislead farmers.
Leonard Leo – who funds Consumers Research – and his clients in the oil industry are the ones who really benefit from this anti-ESG agenda.
- Leo, who has described responsible investing as “polluting our culture and assaulting the dignity and worth of people,” is the owner and chairman of public relations firm CRC Advisors, which has received over $1 million in contract work from Consumers Research and inadvertently revealed that they were working for oil giant Chevron to attack environmental issues.
- Consumers Research is backed by Leo’s Marble Freedom Trust, which was seeded by a record $1.6 billion donation from extreme manufacturing magnate Barre Seid.
- Leonard Leo is currently under investigation by the DC Attorney General over whether he has violated laws by using charities for personal enrichment.
The biggest threat to family farms isn’t ESG – it’s corporate consolidation – which Consumers Research allies like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce represent.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly defended corporate consolidation in agriculture and has leveraged the full breadth of its lobbying capabilities to stifle government efforts to limit antitrust.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce takes in millions of dollars each year from big oil companies and gave them four seats on the group’s board of directors. The Chamber gave seats to Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and Shell USA, Inc.
- In 2022, Chevron contributed $500,000.
- In 2022, Shell contributed between $1 million and $2.5 Million.
- In 2022, ConocoPhillips contributed over $500,000.
- The U.S. Chamber’s membership includes some of the largest producers of carbon emissions in the U.S., accounting for at least 5% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
- Of the companies listed in the Greenhouse 100 Polluters Index Rank, the U.S. Chamber’s membership take up five of the top 10 spots.
A majority of Americans across party lines oppose efforts, like Consumers Research, to attack ESG.
- The American public broadly and across party lines support corporations’ efforts to invest responsibly, and 70% of Republicans oppose government interference on this.
- Data also shows a majority of voters are worried “supporters of ESG bans do not care about the well-being of the middle class or American workers.
- Polling shows that nearly 60% of Americans are concerned billionaire donors are “pouring money” into the interest groups and politicians supporting responsible investing bans.
