WASHINGTON – In response to a letter sent by the “Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust” to the Senate Ethics Committee regarding grants issued to Ocean Conservancy through NOAA and the EPA to clean trash from the United States’ beaches, Jeff Watters, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of External Affairs issued the following statement:

“No one wants to see our beautiful American beaches littered with trash. What we do – what we have done successfully for over 40 years via the International Coastal Cleanup – is straightforward and common-sense: we clean up trash from our beaches, our waterways, and our ocean. This is not controversial. It is not partisan. And it should not be political. 

“Ocean Conservancy is a global leader in marine debris cleanup. The grants Ocean Conservancy received from NOAA came from laws passed with broad bipartisan support that then went through a competitive, independent selection process which designated Ocean Conservancy to be one among hundreds of grantees to receive funding. Ocean Conservancy’s selection was based on our decades of expertise in addressing marine debris and protecting the ocean. 

“With the support of these bipartisan federal funds, Ocean Conservancy will continue to remove hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the U.S., which will not only protect these places for generations of Americans to enjoy but improve the health of our fishing and tourism industries. We are incredibly proud of the work we do to clean the ocean. And all of us at Ocean Conservancy vow to continue our work to protect America’s beautiful coastlines from the impacts of plastic pollution.  

Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, a well-respected marine ecologist and ocean policy consultant, has not received compensation from these federal grants allocated to Ocean Conservancy.”

A PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED COMPLAINT

The letter sent by the “Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust” to the Senate Ethics Committee this week is similar to a letter sent by another organization one year ago. The Senate Ethics Committee reviewed that complaint, and issued a letter on August 16, 2024 dismissing the complaint, stating: “The Committee carefully evaluated the allegations in the complaint and, based on all the information before it, the Committee concluded that Senator Whitehouse’s actions did not violate federal law, Senate Rules, and other standards of conduct.” 

A link to the 2024 determination from the Senate Ethics Committee that no federal laws or ethics rules have been violated can be found HERE.

More information on the questionable credibility of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust can be found HERE.

BACKGROUND ON THE BILLS REFERENCED

The two bills referenced in the complaint were both passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that contains the marine debris funding from which Ocean Conservancy competed for marine debris grant awards from NOAA passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 69-30, including 19 Republicans. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42) that funds the Government’s operations included funding for Ocean Conservancy through Congressionally Directed Spending and the package overwhelmingly passed the Senate by a vote of 75-22, including 26 Republicans. Ocean Conservancy submitted a request to Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) office for funding to manage marine debris backhaul in Alaska, and this funding was included in the FY24 appropriations bill. 

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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.