The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is stepping down from her position at the “end of the summer” amid a House investigation regarding donations the Chamber’s Foundation had received from the Tides Foundation, according to an internal memo.
“Sharing the news that Carolyn will be leaving the Chamber at the end of the summer is bittersweet,” Clark said in her memo. “We began thoughtful conversations earlier this year about her desire to focus on a much more personal endeavor.”
At the beginning of May, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, launched an investigation into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC), and its foundation.
In a letter addressed to Cawley and Clark, Smith called for answers to questions regarding donations the foundation had received from the Tides Foundation, “a left-leaning organization that partners with and sponsors groups that advocate for policies that would harm the American business community.”
Smith explained that a report from March indicated that between 2018 and 2022, the USCCF received more than $12 million “in funding from the Tides Foundation,” a George Soros-funded foundation.
Contrary to the USCC’s stated mission of improving lives ‘by advancing American business’ and advocating ‘for policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy,’ it seems odd that the foundation would accept funding from a group like the Tides Foundation, which is so focused on activities that seem counter to USCC’s mission.
In the aftermath of the report, officials within the USCC have claimed that the report was false, but have not specified “anywhere where there was any alleged factual inaccuracy in any of the news stories.”
The letter from Smith provided Cawley and Clark with a deadline of May 20 to answer questions regarding the donations.
As of Wednesday, a House Ways and Means Committee aide confirmed that the USCC had not provided the committee with any “relevant information” to Smith prior to the deadline.
