FIRST ON FOX: A damning new report was released Tuesday morning ahead of a House Ways & Means Committee hearing aimed at exposing foreign actors sending money to U.S. nonprofits.

The hearing, which is titled, “Foreign Influence in American Non-profits: Unmasking Threats from Beijing and Beyond,” will begin around 10:00 a.m. EST.

Six foreign entities have funneled more than $2.65 billion into American politics, according to a new report by conservative watchdog Americans for Public Trust (APT), which highlights a loophole that APT says allows foreign nationals to funnel money to influence American politics “virtually unchecked.”   

Foreign nationals are prohibited from donating directly to political campaigns, but money supporting U.S. candidates for office or their viewpoints can also come from 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) nonprofits.   

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SOUND ALARM OVER CCP-LINKED FAKE RESEARCH THREATENING US TAXPAYER-FUNDED SCIENCE

Six foreign groups tied to wealthy individuals overseas have funneled over $2.6 billion to U.S.-based nonprofits, according to a new report released by conservative watchdog group Americans for Public Trust (APT). (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“Foreign donors can currently fund U.S.-based advocacy groups – most often 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s – virtually unchecked,” the report alleges. It adds that while the money APT uncovered is “highly concerning” solely on its own, there is “undoubtedly even more overseas funding sources backing and influencing U.S. advocacy efforts.”

The six entities highlighted in APT’s report come from Switzerland, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The largest donor identified in the report was Switzerland-based Oak Foundation, established by British billionaire retail mogul Alan Parker, which has given around $753 million to U.S.-based advocacy groups. 

Through the Oak Foundation, Parker has supported left-wing environmental groups like Greenpeace, the Environmental Law Institute, the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund, according to the Capital Research Center’s Influence Watch, which cited the group’s grant database that now appears to be removed. 

Influence Watch added that through its grants, the Oak Foundation has positioned itself as a major supporter of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which China critics argue is part of a geopolitical strategy disguised as infrastructure investment. 

APT’s report also points out that the Swiss-based Oak Foundation has poured tens of millions into the Arabella network of left-wing advocacy groups, including $67 million to the New Venture Fund, $12 million to the Windward Fund and $2.8 million to the Hopewell Fund. The left-wing Tides Foundation has also received money from the Oak Foundation.

TAX COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS PRESS FOR TREASURY CRACKDOWN ON NONPROFITS PROMOTING FRAUD, ‘ANTI-AMERICAN’ HATE 

The left-wing Arabella network received funding from the Copenhagen-based KR Foundation and the Swiss-based Laudes Foundation as well, according to APT, which found these two groups have passed a combined $55.6 million to U.S. advocacy groups. The KR Foundation was founded by the descendants of Villum Kann Rasmussen, a Danish civil engineer and businessman who founded the VKR Group, while the Laudes Foundation was established by the Brenninkmeijer family, a German-Dutch business dynasty.          

Entities founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss came in second on APT’s list of six foreign donor organizations. The Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund have reportedly passed more than $673 million to U.S.-based advocacy groups. 

Hansjorg Wyss attends Oceana’s 2015 New York City benefit at Four Seasons Restaurant on April 1, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Oceana)

“The groups funded by Wyss utilize their immense resources to advance a progressive agenda, mold policy debates and decisions, and influence American elections. His foreign funding network focuses on policy priorities such as radical environmentalism, championing sweeping changes to election laws, and directly engaging in campaign activities, including voter mobilization efforts and political attack ads,” APT’s report states. “Wyss’ foreign money has found its way to prominent left-wing organizations including Fund for a Better Future, the League of Conservation Voters, the National Redistricting Action Fund, Planned Parenthood, and Indivisible.”

LAWMAKERS PROBE NATIONAL FFA OVER CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TIES AND DEI PROGRAMS

The remaining two foreign entities mentioned in APT’s report, the U.K.-based Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Quadrature Climate Foundation, have allegedly passed hundreds of millions of dollars to U.S.-based groups, respectively, similar to Parker’s and Wyss’ groups. 

CIFF has passed approximately $638.2 million to U.S. advocacy groups, while Quadrature Climate Foundation has passed over around $532.5 million, according to APT.

CIFF, backed by British billionaire Christopher Hohn, has engaged in “aggressive left-wing advocacy” around climate change and social justice, including a group wanting to ban gas stoves, according to APT. Among the funding is also more than $10 million to two Arabella-managed nonprofits, according to the report.

APT also accuses CIFF of fostering “alarming ties to groups in China linked to the Chinese Communist Party,” pointing out its CEO is part of a member organization overseen by the CCP and holds a position with “the Belt and Road International Green Development Coalition.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP  

Meanwhile, the Quadrature Climate Foundation, which also donates to the Arabella network, has been described as sending its grants to “some of the world’s most influential campaign groups and scientific institutions” in an effort to steer “both research and lobbying on the green transition.” It is the philanthropic arm of the London-based hedge fund Quadrature Capital, founded by billionaires Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya.  

Quadrature Climate Foundation’s largest recipient, according to APT, was ClimateWorks Foundation, which got $147 million from them. 25 million dollars of that money went “to support the acceleration of electric vehicles,” while another $6 million was reportedly earmarked for financial regulation efforts aimed at mitigating climate change risks.

“For years, foreign organizations and megadonors have quietly poured billions of dollars into the U.S. political sphere with little to no accountability,” APT complained in its report. “Foreign funding has infiltrated nearly every sector of the U.S. political sphere.”

Robert Irwin was “terrified” of Los Angeles after competing on “Dancing with the Stars” and couldn’t wait to get back to his home country of Australia.

During an interview with Fox News Digital at the NFL Honors, Irwin admitted that he would take a crocodile over L.A. traffic any day.

“Oh my gosh! I learned to drive in America—it was the first time I’d ever driven on that side of the road, in L.A.. That was the most terrifying part of the entire ‘Dancing with the Stars’ experience… was being on the road in L.A.,” Irwin said.

Robert Irwin says driving in Los Angeles was the most “terrifying part” of living in Los Angeles for several months. (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“I don’t know how they do that. Give me a crocodile any day!”

JON BON JOVI, CHRIS PRATT, AND JAY-Z LEAD STAR-STUDDED HOLLYWOOD TAKEOVER AT SUPER BOWL LX IN SANTA CLARA

“I don’t know how they do that. Give me a crocodile any day!”

— Robert Irwin

Irwin, who won season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars,” admitted that he loved the support he received from fans in America, but his heart will always be in Australia.

Robert Irwin won “Dancing with the Stars” season 34. ( Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images)

“Well, I think the thing is like, I grew up out and about, you know, in the wilderness of Australia. Being in that L.A. vibe was so incredibly different,” Irwin said. “But it was also really amazing because I felt so much support from across America, and it felt wonderful.”

WATCH: Robert Irwin admits life in Los Angeles terrified him: ‘Give me a crocodile’

He continued, “I was excited to get home, but it’s also, you know, equally beautiful to come back to America to see all my ‘Dancing with the Stars’ mates and all of that is really special. But Australia will always be where my heart beats from and that’s always where I’ll go back to.”

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Last month, Irwin told The West Australian he’s “not a city kid” after spending months in California for the dance competition show.

The Irwin family includes Steve, Bidi, Robert and Terri Irwin. (Australia Zoo via Getty Images)

“Being in L.A. for the last three months has been wonderful, but I am not a city kid. I live out in the bush and have grown up there, so it’s good to be back where there’s a bit of greenery,” he told the outlet in January.

Robert grew up in Australia with his mom, Terri, and his sister, Bindi. The family follows in their late father’s footsteps, Steve Irwin, and keeps his work alive at the Australia Zoo. Steve died in 2006 after being stung by a stingray at the Batt Reef off the coast of Australia.

Robert Irwin, Terri Irwin and Bindi Irwin continue Steve Irwin’s work at the Australia Zoo. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Irwin came back to America for the 2026 Super Bowl. Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of the game, Irwin explained why he brought a snake as his plus one for the event.

WATCH: Robert Irwin says it was a ‘dream’ to bring a snake to the Super Bowl

“Well, you know, it’s actually always been a dream of mine to come and watch a Super Bowl. So when they said come out and experience it, I’m like, ‘Oh, 100%,’ but I had to bring a snake with me,” Irwin said. “I mean, it kind of only made sense.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Donald Trump has threatened to block the long-awaited opening of a new $4.7bn (£3.4bn) bridge connecting the US and Canada.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is supposed to be ready to open in spring, connects Detroit in the US state of Michigan to Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario.

The US Department of Homeland Security has estimated it will save $12.7m (£9.3m) annually for travellers by reducing congestion and travel time, easing traffic flows on alternative routes such as the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge.

It will also be the only route with the option of walking or cycling between the two countries, as well as offering six lanes for vehicles – compared to the Ambassador Bridge’s four – and fewer traffic light stops.

So why is the US president threatening to delay its opening?

Trump’s rant over bridge opening

Mr Trump launched into a rant over the bridge on his Truth Social platform on Monday, in a post claiming Canada had treated the US “unfairly for decades”.

Some of his frustrations were about the bridge itself, while others were over broader tensions between the countries, largely ramped up by his tariffs.

The outburst came despite the fact Mr Trump endorsed the bridge during his first term in 2017 alongside then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Wants to own ‘at least one half’ of the bridge

In his post, Mr Trump said the US would be getting “absolutely NOTHING” from the bridge.

He added: “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”

Mr Trump has not made clear how he would seek to block the bridge from opening. Sky News has contacted the White House for comment.

The bridge was financed predominantly by Canada after Michigan’s former governor Rick Snyder – a Republican – accepted an offer from the Canadian government in 2012 to cover most of the costs.

He took the unusual step of using executive authority to bypass the legislature.

The Canadian government is set to recoup its investment in the bridge through toll revenue, and will receive ongoing capital and availability payments to operate, maintain and rehabilitate the project for the next 36 years.

Mr Trump also took issue with the fact the bridge, named after a Canadian hockey star who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons, was not built using US steel.

It was built by union construction workers from both countries, according to local officials.

Why else would Trump want to block it?

The US president’s bridge threats come during heightened tensions between him and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, largely over trade.

Mr Trump has made a number of threats against Canada in his second term and drastically hiked tariffs on the country, prompting China to swoop in and negotiate a trade deal with the Canadian government.

Mr Trump referenced this in his lengthy Truth Social post about the bridge, claiming China would “eat Canada alive” and that the US would “just get the leftovers”.

The US president previously threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canada if it followed through with the deal.

He also referenced his longstanding frustrations with Canada’s policies on dairy product imports and Ontario’s enforcement of a sweeping ban on American alcoholic beverages.

The bridge threat also comes shortly before a formal review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal that protects Canada from the heaviest impacts of Mr Trump’s tariffs.

Share

On the frontline of Trump’s trade war

Bridge ‘going to open one way or another’

Michigan, a swing state which Mr Trump won over in both 2016 and 2024, would feel the brunt of a delay to the bridge’s opening, local politicians say.

Michigan’s Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer has maintained an unusually good relationship with Mr Trump since his second term began, but her spokesperson Stacey LaRouche said the bridge was “going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting”.

Read more:
‘End of the monarchy’ may be at hand, says US congressman
Irish man detained for months in ‘concentration camp’ by ICE

Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, has called the bridge a “huge boon” to her state and its economic future, and warned: “Cancelling this project will have serious repercussions. Higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains, and ultimately, fewer jobs.

“So to shoot yourself in the foot and threaten the Gordie Howe Bridge means that this guy [Trump] has completely lost the plot on what’s good for us versus just what’s spite against the Canadians.”

She added Mr Trump is “punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started”.

“The only reason Canada is on the verge of a trade deal with China is because President Trump has kicked them in the teeth for a year,” she said.

Rep Shri Thanedar, the Democratic House representative of Detroit, said blocking the bridge would be “crazy” and Mr Trump’s attacks on Canada weren’t good for business or jobs.

She added: “The bridge is going to help Michigan’s economy. There’s so much commerce between Michigan and Canada. They’re one of our biggest partners.”

Sky News has contacted the Ontario premier’s office and the Detroit mayor’s office for comment.

A Tuesday Senate hearing is set to expose billions in fraud in Minnesota as well as foreign backing for anti-ICE agitators across the country, Sen. Josh Hawley’s office told Fox News Digital.

The hearing before the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Management, which Hawley chairs, will feature testimony from a Minnesota state senator and representatives of third-party watchdog groups. Systemic fraud backed by transnational groups has stolen billions from child nutrition, FEMA assistance, housing, Medicaid and substance abuse services, the testimony is expected to say.

“American taxpayers are getting robbed blind—billions stolen in Minnesota, and hundreds of billions siphoned out of the country by transnational criminals every year—all while foreign actors coordinate chaos on our streets,” Hawley told Fox News in a statement.

“Enough is enough. It’s time to root out the dark money and shut down the foreign influence,” he added.

CONGRESS OPENS ‘INDUSTRIAL-SCALE FRAUD’ PROBE IN MINNESOTA, WARNS WALZ DEMANDS ARE ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. will chair Tuesday’s hearing investigating federal assistance fraud in Minnesota. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Minnesota State Sen. Mark Koran’s testimony will highlight the role Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison played in allowing fraud to fester and spread across the state in what he calls the “largest expansion and fastest acceleration of fraud this country has ever seen.”

Witnesses are expected to say that senior officials were not only aware of the fraud but have also taken steps to hide it from public scrutiny by backdating audit records and cracking down on whistleblowers.

A Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) whistleblower told Fox News that she was the victim of a “smear campaign” after raising red flags about fraud in the state since 2019.

MINNESOTA DHS WHISTLEBLOWER DETAILS ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’ AFTER REPORTING FRAUD CONCERNS TO STATE

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz canceled his plans to run for re-election amid Minnesota’s fraud scandal. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics. The majority of those charged, so far, in the ongoing investigation are part of Minnesota’s Somali population.

In addition to Koran, lawmakers will hear testimony from Seamus Bruner, the vice president of the Government Accountability Institute; Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, the acting vice president of Policy & Government Affairs for the Project on Government Oversight, and Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Government.

Talcove’s testimony will focus on transnational groups that he says are exploiting federal assistance programs and using stolen funds support “organized crime, drug trafficking, human exploitation, and, in some cases, terrorist-affiliated or hostile foreign actors.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Bruner’s testimony will also focus on foreign influence, linking the funding streams to foreign actors, including individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.