Protect the Public's Trust has announced the acquisition of a nearly complete roster of individuals who worked for John Kerry’s climate office. This development follows years of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and lawsuits. The announcement was made in a press release on April 9, 2025.
According to Protect the Public's Trust, in April 2024, it was disclosed that the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) office, led by Kerry, had a budget of $16.7 million and compensated approximately 30 staff members with a total of $4.3 million in salaries, with a median income around $170,000. Kerry reported directly to President Biden.
Despite numerous FOIA requests and ongoing investigations, the office maintained secrecy, delaying document access until November 2024. In response to a 2023 FOIA request, no records were found supporting Kerry's claim that greenhouse gases kill 15 million people annually. Congressional leaders also sought information about Kerry's interactions with the Chinese Communist Party and his coordination with environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth on international issues. These details were only disclosed after an administrative change.
"John Kerry must have been absent when his civics teacher explained how a democratic republic works, as his almost clandestine office inside the State Department shows," said Michael Chamberlain, Director of Protect the Public's Trust. "He was jetting around meeting with dictators and spreading unsubstantiated information while he expected taxpayers to write checks to his office for millions in exchange for … well, we don’t really know. And it’s only now we’re learning for whom."
Protect the Public's Trust is an initiative focused on promoting equal enforcement of ethical standards for public officials, regardless of political affiliation or ideology. Led by retired public servants, it aims to monitor and inform the public about conflicts of interest and violations by senior officials. It emphasizes the need for an impartial government free from political influence.
