WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
Earlier this summer we sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the S.C. Wildlife Federation – a group run by liberal environmentalist Ben Gregg.
Our objective? Obtaining a better look at the organization’s basic financial information – so we could see (among other things) the extent to which Gregg’s group has been coopted by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC).
That organization is run by Gregg’s wife, Ann Timberlake.
As we’ve previously reported, Gregg and Timberlake make big bucks off of their environmental advocacy – although of late they have produced diminishing returns for their movement.
Environmentally-minded donors are noticing …
“I would not give them a dime,” one enviro-philanthropist told us this week. “They are not respected by the environmental movement – their two organizations are nothing more than facades.”
Facade or not … Gregg did not appreciate our investigative efforts.
“We will not be providing a response,” he curtly informed us, claiming that the documents we requested were not subject to FOIA.
We wonder … what is it Gregg doesn’t want us to find out?
When organizations benefitting from nonprofit tax status are not forthcoming with information – it only encourages us to dig deeper.
We’re told Timberlake and Gregg are under increasing pressure to show a positive return on donors’ investment. We’re also told several rival environmental groups are in the process of establishing a presence at the S.C. State House. That would further water down Timberlake and Gregg’s already deteriorating power base – not to mention their funding streams.
Anyway … stay tuned. One way or the other, we intend on finding the answers we’re looking for.