"A charitable foundation devoted to environmental causes that has been vilified by politicians in Canada's governing Conservative Party has struck back, outlining its finances and accusing the politicians of trying to silence dissent."
"Conservative politicians, including some Cabinet members, have asserted that the group is little more than a conduit for American environmentalists seeking to undermine Canada's economy by financing critics of energy projects, particularly Alberta's oil sands.
Those politicians have characterized Tides, which is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, as a group run by "radicals" who "are engaged in "influence peddling" and are "laundering" foreign money. And for the second time in about three years, the Canada Revenue Agency is auditing the foundation's books to ensure that the group is not violating its charitable status by allocating more than 10 percent of its spending to political activities."
Ian Austen reports for the New York Times' Green blog June 28, 2012.
