The New Venture Fund (NVF), a prominent left-leaning dark money organization, allocated $2.3 million last year to Sher Edling, a law firm engaged by several Democratic prosecutors for climate litigation against oil companies. This information comes from the NVF’s recent tax filings. Additionally, the NVF provided $1.3 million to the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a nonprofit in Washington D.C., which offers training to judges on handling such cases.
Sher Edling has received close to $11 million from an NVF-sponsored fund since 2021 and has been involved in lawsuits accusing oil companies of contributing to global warming and misleading the public about fossil fuel dangers. These lawsuits are supported by at least nine Democrat-led states and over twelve cities, representing around 25% of the U.S. population.
In 2020, Sher Edling filed a lawsuit on behalf of Honolulu against major oil companies like Sunoco, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, and BP. The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages due to coastal erosion and extreme weather events. In late 2023, Hawaii’s supreme court allowed the case to proceed under Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald’s ruling.
Recktenwald attended an ELI seminar titled “Rising Seas and Litigation: What Judges Need to Know About Warming-Driven Sea Level Rise” before his ruling. ELI claims its activities are nonpartisan; however, critics argue that its funding from large left-wing foundations influences its materials.
The ELI has reportedly worked with Sher Edling lawyers on curriculum development for seminars. Notably, Michael Burger from Sher Edling participated in several ELI events, while former lawyer Meredith Wilensky was a public interest law fellow at ELI.
Senator Ted Cruz criticized ELI during a June hearing on environmental lawfare for allegedly influencing judicial decisions with political narratives rather than scientific facts.
Nick Collins from ELI said that shared funding does not imply bias or conflict of interest as their support comes from diverse sources. The NVF also emphasized its role in supporting various projects across different issues without dictating work outcomes.
Sher Edling did not provide comments when approached.
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