New FOIA emails show EPA in cahoots with enviro groups, giving them special access

◼ Internal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emails show extensive collaboration between top agency officials and leading environmentalist groups, including overt efforts to coordinate messaging and pressure the fossil fuel industry. - Watts Up With That?

Critics of the agency and its nonprofit allies were surprised by the cooperation.

“The level of coordination in these documents is shocking,” EELI (the Energy and Environment Legal Institute) said in a statement.

◼ McCarthy Dodges Environmentalist Coordination Questions - Washington Free Beacon

Republicans press EPA chief on apparent collusion with far-left groups...

One of those emails showed that deputy EPA administrator Bob Perciasepe held an event with two dozen environmentalist groups for the explicit purpose of helping them solicit comments supportive of stringent environmental regulations.

“Is it proper behavior for the EPA to go out with these groups for the sole purpose of recruiting additional comment signers to then go ahead and support your position?” Barrasso asked.

McCarthy declined to address the event specifically, saying she had not seen the email in question and was not aware of the Perciasepe event.

“I certainly don’t want to interpret what you just read, senator,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know what the occasion was, I’m sorry.”

She noted that the EPA holds events with all sorts of “stakeholders,” including environmentalists and industry groups. However, Barrasso insisted the newly uncovered emails suggest more overt collaboration with the former.