The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree Chamber) launched in 2022 to position itself as an alternative to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While its donors are hidden from public view, the organization routinely advocates on behalf of the oil and gas industry and the people associated with the group have deep ties to the industry.
Extreme Leaders. In 2023, AmFree Chamber hired former Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr to run its Center for Legal Action, which it billed as an effort to aggressively fight government regulations in court. The regulations singled out by Barr in the announcement included the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) climate disclosure rule and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Prior to Barr joining the Trump administration in 2019, he had served on the Board of Dominion Energy from 2009-2019.
Coordinated Legal Action. In 2024, AmFree Chamber joined a suit, alongside nine state attorneys general, in opposition to the SEC’s climate disclosure rule that has been opposed by the oil and gas industry. In 2023, AmFree Chamber filed an amicus brief on behalf of ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute, who were being sued by the state of Minnesota for deceiving and defrauding Minnesotans about the climate related dangers posed by their products. Also in 2023, the group filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court urging them to overturn Chevron Deference, a position that if successful, would put EPA’s pollution rules at risk.
Polluter Backing. AmFree Chamber also utilizes an oil and gas lobbyist to aid its energy and environment work. Michael Catanzaro is AmFree Chamber’s chief energy and environment advisor. Catanzaro is also President & CEO of lobbying firm CGCN, which currently lobbies for AmFree Chamber as well as on behalf of the American Petroleum Institute, the American Fuel, and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Duke Energy, Exelon, The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, and TransCanada Pipelines. While a lobbyist at CGCN from 2007-2017, Catanzaro personally registered to lobby on behalf of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Koch Companies, Devon Energy, Halliburton, Noble Energy, TransCanada Pipelines, and America’s Natural Gas Alliance. AmFree Chamber does not have any publicly available contributions at this time.
Fact: Shortly after the SEC released its initial proposal, nearly 200 investment firms, nonprofits, and State Treasurers sent a joint letter reaffirming their support for the rule and outlining imperatives for the standard transparency requirements.