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From Madison, Wisconsin to Washington D.C, we’ve seen how dirty corporation-funded lobby groups have been trying every trick in the book to undermine people-powered progress and climate solutions. Last month, thousands of uncovered emails revealed a plot to spy on and sabotage critics of the US Chamber of Commerce; at the helm of this campaign were three law firms closely linked to the US Chamber of Commerce.
This week several members of Congress called for an investigation into this smear campaign, which could be held up for counts of domestic spying, fraud, forgery, extortion, cyber stalking, defamation, harassment, violations of cyber law, forgery, blackmail, libel, and slander.
Not only were these acts wildly inappropriate and an invasion of privacy, they were also quite bizarre; the law firm trolled for photos of the families of Chamber critics, researching minute and irrelevant details (ex. “attends Jewish church”, “enjoys photographing children.”)
While this most recent tactic is certainly as appalling, backhanded, and undemocratic as they come, it is not an isolated incident in the US Chamber’s considerable history of deceit and foul play.
We see time and time again the Chamber’s desperate attempts to pose as a representative of local American businesses. In 2009, the US Chamber played behind-the-scenes numbers games, overstating their membership by 900%.
But in truth, the US Chamber of Commerce answers to big business and funnels hefty portions of funding in order to protect the fossil fuel industry. While only 7 of their 100-person board are members of local chambers and small businesses, nearly half represent oil and gas companies and heavily fuel-dependent industries fighting tooth and nail to kill any prospects of federal climate progress.
The US Chamber is feeling the steady erosion of their monopoly as the voice of local American businesses. Last summer, the US Chamber targeted a breakaway group, the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, accusing them of “undermining the U.S. Chamber’s and the business community’s leadership on” climate issues.
Though both the Chamber’s empire and credibility are crumbling, there’s much work that needs to be done to stand up against this corrupt and crooked lobby front group and expose its true colors.
We need community leaders around the countries to band together with local businesses in support of climate action and green business solutions, and collectively call on their local city chambers to stand with the American people and denounce the US Chamber of Corruption.
Find out how you can plug into this nationwide effort to reclaim our voice on Main St. and demonstrate that climate solutions and a prosperous green economy go hand in hand.
