Watchdog Group Seeks Records to Clarify Biden Administration’s Definition of “Equity” and Other Orwellian Terms

For Immediate Release: March 10, 2021

Contact: [email protected] (202-810-2001)

Washington, D.C. –  On Monday, the Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), a conservative watchdog group, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), concerning the new Administration’s recently formed Task Force on Scientific Integrity.  Specifically, the group is concerned with the new Administration’s focus on “equality,” which is a buzzword used across many of the highly controversial efforts already instituted by Biden since taking office.  It’s also found in Biden’s January 27, 2021, Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking.

In addition to seeking such information as the Task Force’s members, the date appointed, and charters or mandates governing the group, the FOIA also seeks definitions of several terms found in the January 27, 2021 memorandum.  These include the Administration’s promise of “improper political interference,” “suppression or distortion of scientific or technological findings, data, information, conclusions, or technical results,” and a definition of “all genders, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.”

“I spent thirty-three years at the EPA, and I have litigated numerous highly complex environmental law cases both for the government and as a plaintiff against it,” said David Schnare, E&E Legal’s Founder and Chairman Emeritus.  “What I see coming out of the blocks is the new Administration seeking to codify new ‘legal’ terms – without proper due process or legislative discourse – based on a particular political philosophy that runs counter to basic legal tenents of the country.”

Schnare pointed specifically to a clause from the January 27th Memorandum that promises “the equitable delivery of the Federal Government’s programs.”  “What does ‘equitable’ mean, and more concerning when you consider a government as large as this one, how will this be achieved?  Will there be a new ‘Equitable Czar’ who will be in charge of making unilateral decisions based on an undefined sense of fairness?!  This is what we’re trying to determine through our FOIA request,” he added.

During the Obama Administration, E&E Legal emerged as a key watchdog group regarding energy and environment issues.  For example, the group exposed widespread corruption between EPA officials and green lobbyists in the drafting of the Clean Power Plan, received international coverage for a multi-state Attorneys General effort to shake down Exxon using a contrived smear campaign bankrolled by the Rockefeller Foundation, and brought several federal suits over the renewable energy standards using the Dormant Commerce Clause.

“After four years of the Trump Administration, where an agenda of Energy Dominance boosted the economy and went a long way in ensuring energy independence in America, E&E Legal is now forced once again to keep tabs on an Administration seeking to destroy the economy and kill jobs,” said Craig Richardson, E&E Legal President. “From Day 1, Joe Biden began dismantling the Trump energy legacy, picking up where Obama left off, with the full support of a complicit media, so I expect we’ll be very busy over the next 4 years.”

The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal) is a 501(c)(3) organization that champions responsible and balanced environmentalism, which seeks to conserve the nation’s natural resources while ensuring a stable and robust economy through energy dominance. Specifically, E&E Legal advocates responsible resource development, conservation, sound science, and respect for property rights.

-30-