“Unqualified,” declared Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, about Lee Zeldin being nominated by President-elect Trump to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The nomination, Jealous said, “lays bare Donald Trump’s intentions to, once again, sell our health, our communities, our jobs and future out to corporate polluters. Our lives, our livelihoods, and our collective future cannot afford Lee Zeldin—or anyone who seeks to carry out a mission antithetical to the EPA’s mission.”

In issuing the statement, the Sierra Club noted that it “is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization with millions of members.”

The U.S. House just passed H.R. 9495 — a bill that would grant the incoming Trump administration the power to shut down organizations they don’t like by revoking their nonprofit status.

We can’t let this happen, Suzanne. It would have a chilling effect on our ability to fight for climate justice and oppose fossil fuel projects. But we can still stop this bill in its tracks in the Senate if we amplify our outrage before H.R. 9495 can come to a vote.

We need you to take action with us today. Send a message to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer now urging him not to let H.R. 9495 get a vote!

It was one year ago today that Environmental Court Judge Stephanie Mingo declared that “City of Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther is the source of the ex parte communication” in the case of the Greyhound bus station on Columbus’ west side. Judge Mingo should have revealed the Mayor’s name during the Emergency Status Conference that was held on October 12, 2023, 26 days before the mayoral election. Judge Mingo was well aware of the implications of announcing Andy Ginther’s name as the ex parte communicator just 26 days prior to Election Day.  She had a duty to tell the public who it was and what was said and her silence brings into question judicial partiality of a high-ranking city official. This was a clear abuse of power and the mayor made the phone call to get an advantage in the election. The mayor tried to obstruct official business of the court.