Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is facing a potential ethics investigation after a watchdog found he funneled money to a conservation group his wife works for.
Whitehouse’s spouse, Sandra Thornton Whitehouse, is the president of Ocean Wonks LLC — a consulting firm that works with the environmental nonprofit Ocean Conservancy.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee Monday, alleging that Whitehouse backed legislation that resulted in Ocean Conservancy receiving millions of dollars in grants.
‘Senator Whitehouse advocated and voted for legislation that led to $6.9 million of taxpayer funds being paid to an organization that his wife works for and receives an income from,’ said FACT executive director Kendra Arnold.
According to the complaint, Sandra Whitehouse has worked for Ocean Conservancy since 2008.
Tax filings show that the nonprofit has paid her $2.6 million directly or through her consulting firm since 2010, National Review reported.
Whitehouse is a progressive and a strong advocate for climate change action and environmental protection. Since 2012, he has spoken on the Senate floor about climate change every week.
He is also known for his efforts to remove ‘dark money’ from politics, specifically targeting ‘right-wing billionaires’ that use undisclosed spending to ‘thwart climate action,’ according to his office’s website.
Typical democrat