Nelson and John D. Rockefeller are rolling in their graves.

Charities controlled by members of the Rockefeller family and billionaire donors were key funders of a successful campaign to pressure President Biden to pause new approvals of liquefied natural gas exports from the U.S. 

The Rockefellers, along with other wealthy donors including the philanthropy of Michael Bloomberg, have provided millions of dollars in recent years to front-line environmental groups that are campaigning against fossil-fuel projects, including LNG terminals that have been proposed on the Gulf Coast, according to people familiar with the effort. 

Some green funders hadn’t given much attention to the LNG exports until recently, in part because of ambivalence about the role natural gas should play in the energy transition. Plus, some previous campaigns to kill LNG terminals had been unsuccessful, damping some donors’ and large environmental organizations’ appetite for taking on the industry. 

The billionaire-backed campaign, starting around four years ago, worked to identify and fund community leaders already campaigning against fossil-fuel projects. The activists buttonholed White House and federal officials in Washington, Houston and Dubai as part of a high-intensity grassroots campaign. 

Less liquified natural gas (LNG) means more coal and, consequently more emissions including dependence on Russia and Iran along with fewer American jobs. This is part of Biden’s desperate efforts to revive his fledging poll numbers with his base, the Left along with his major donors.

The Washington Free Beacon also reveals that John Podesta, Biden’s climate envoy, contributed to Biden’s decision since Podesta’s brother also benefits from Biden suspending LNG exports. As it turns out, Tony Podesta is a lobbyist for foreign energy interests based in countries like Bulgaria and Qatar.

“It’s no secret that John Podesta is the person behind this moratorium,” one energy industry insider told the Free Beacon. “Congress should take a very hard look at the fact that his own brother stands to financially benefit from a restriction of U.S. LNG on the global market, whether it be from his past work with the Qataris or current reported work with Russian-backed entities with interest in LNG.”

“Less U.S. LNG on the global market will ensure Qatar and Russia receive hundreds of billions of dollars that would otherwise go to the U.S.”

Energy industry insiders have also warned that the administration’s decision to pause on LNG export permits will boost America’s foreign energy rivals, including Qatar and Russia. The countries are two of the world’s largest LNG exporters next to the United States.

John Biden is called Quid Pro Quo Joe for a reason.