According to an executive subpoenaed in the House’s investigation of businesses engaged in so-called ESG policies, conservative legal activist Leonard Leo is the inspiration behind a” crusade” to stop corporate practice.  ,
ESG is an acronym for economic, social, and governance techniques that promote kept- leaning engagement among businesses and organizations. Many businesses and organizations are being investigated by the House Judiciary Committee for possible violations of federal antitrust rules as a result of their cooperation in these practices.  ,
Leo, longer affiliated with The Federalist Society, is well known in for traditional legal lines. Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow, an ESG- advocating volunteer, brought up Leo’s brand in an meeting Friday with the left- aircraft broadcast and internet program” Democracy Today”! hosted by Amy Goodman.
” Leonard Leo, he’s the, you know, co- chair of The Federalist Society—those are the folks, all of the correct- wing judges, especially the Supreme Court, but across the entire landscape—he was given$ 1.6 billion in middle- 2022 to lead this crusade”, Behar said on” Democracy Today”!
” It’s a pretty organized plan”, he added.
Behar’s syntax may have been scrambled, but the CEO of As You Sow appeared to claim that Leo, backed by a$ 1.6 billion slush fund, is leading the charge against ESG investment policies.
Reached for this story, a Leo spokesman said the conservative attorney had never heard of As You Sow and does n’t respond to conspiracy theories.
Bose most likely was referring to information from two left-leaning media outlets, The New York Times and ProPublica, that Chicago businessman Barre Seid had given$ 1.6 billion to different networks connected to Leo in 2022. However, that donation extended far beyond ESG as a target of conservative advocacy.
The House Judiciary Committee’s investigation was uncovered by a source who had knowledge of it.
The source told The Daily Signal,” It is completely ridiculous and laughable” to suggest that the committee is looking into Leonard Leo’s involvement with As You Sow. As You Sow appears to be afraid of what the committee is uncovering and is working overtime to hide their lack of cooperation in the investigation.
For his part, Behar said during the” Democracy Now”! prior to receiving a second subpoena on March 28 that the organization gave the House Judiciary Committee 12, 000 pages of documents.
An August letter to As You Sow signed by Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R- Ohio, and other committee members says:  ,
By entering agreements to “decarbonize” corporate assets and reduce emissions to zero, which have potentially harmful effects on Americans ‘ freedom and economic well-being, We write because As You Sow could be violating U.S. antitrust law.
Because You Sow is a participant in Climate Action 100+. Through Climate Action 100+, As You Sow appears to have collaborated with other institutional investors to “work with the companies in which]they invest to… deliver net zero]greenhouse gas ] emissions by 2050. Collusive agreements violate the Sherman Act and harm competition and consumers.
