Environmental Law Group Could Lose Charitable Status for ‘Confected Evidence’

The Environmental Defenders Office, which is facing a large costs order after losing an action against a gas pipeline, could now also lose its charitable status

Protesters gather at the front of the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne, Australia on Nov. 15, 2022. This case involves Santos Ltd., and the major Barossa Gas project, located near the Tiwi Islands off the northern coast of Australia. Tamati Smith/Getty Images

Already struggling to pay a $9 million costs order after losing a high-profile case against energy giant Santos, the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) may be about to lose its charitable status.

The federal opposition, which has said it will end the group’s $8.3 million in government funding if it’s elected, has referred it to the Charities Commission for investigation.