{"id":2613517,"date":"2026-06-12T04:54:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T08:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-left-wing-organization-influencing-federal-judges-on-science-litigation\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T04:54:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T08:54:01","slug":"meet-the-left-wing-organization-influencing-federal-judges-on-science-litigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-left-wing-organization-influencing-federal-judges-on-science-litigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet The Left-Wing Org Influencing Judges On Science Litigation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmeet-the-left-wing-organization-influencing-federal-judges-on-science-litigation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2613517&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/federal-judicial-center-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federal Judicial Center (FJC)<\/a> has had its fair share of controversies throughout the past year. <\/p>\n<p>The taxpayer-funded agency was caught <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/shocking-inappropriate-legal-experts-slam-judges-guide-over-climate-bias-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stuffing<\/a> citations to left-wing climate activists into its most recent <em>Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence<\/em>, which offers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fjc.gov\/content\/396456\/reference-manual-scientific-evidence-fourth-edition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guidance<\/a> to federal judges on science-related cases. Subsequent <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/08\/meet-the-left-wing-activists-behind-the-guide-meant-to-advise-judges-on-climate-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federalist<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/14\/far-left-academics-wrote-scientific-advisory-guide-used-to-influence-judges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigations<\/a> also revealed the radical left-wing partisanship of the authors tasked with writing manual\u2019s climate and forensics sections.<\/p>\n<p>The FJC is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fjc.gov\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intended<\/a> to serve as the unbiased educational and research arm of the judiciary. Although it doesn\u2019t have any \u201cpolicy-making or enforcement authority,\u201d these findings have raised <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/19\/23-state-ags-probe-federal-judicial-centers-distribution-of-biased-climate-guide-to-judges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">concerns<\/a> about its objectivity and central role in providing \u201caccurate, objective information and education\u201d to judges across America\u2019s federal court system. <\/p>\n<p>But the deeper The Federalist digs into the FJC, the further removed the agency seems to be from its stated mission. <\/p>\n<p>A new inquiry into the FJC unearthed that the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/american-association-for-the-advancement-of-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)<\/a> \u2014 a left-wing advocacy group masquerading as an objective science organization \u2014 influenced the FJC\u2019s aforementioned science manual. In line with The Federalist\u2019s prior reporting, this investigation also uncovered that several of the AAAS fellows who worked on the manual have a history of supporting left-wing ideology.<\/p>\n<h2>Origins and Leadership<\/h2>\n<p>Before fleshing out the AAAS\u2019s influence on the judiciary and FJC, it\u2019s worth exploring the group\u2019s left-wing background.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/american-association-for-the-advancement-of-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Capital Research Center (CRC)<\/a>, the AAAS\u2019s origins can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when it was created to \u201cunify all scientific fields across the United States\u201d and \u201crais[e] further resources for scientific inquiry.\u201d The group later shifted its focus in the decades that followed from solely pursuing research funding to \u201cgeneral policy lobbying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During this step into activism, the AAAS \u201cbegan to tilt towards socialism and the Soviet Union\u201d in the late 1930s, according to CRC. The nonprofit watchdog noted the left-wing science group\u2019s annual president at the time, Walter Bradford Cannon, \u201cexpressed his sympathies for socialism as a model of the scientific economy and society of the future, a position many of his fellow \u2018science-activists\u2019 in the AAAS shared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The AAAS has carried its partisan agenda forward by increasing its involvement in left-wing \u201c\u2018science-activism,\u2019 ideological activism performed in the guise of promoting science.\u201d The group was notably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/aaas-and-march-science-partner-uphold-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">involved<\/a> in the 2017 \u201cMarch for Science\u201d that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobalist.com\/global-march-for-science-against-trump\/\">protested<\/a> the first Trump administration\u2019s pro-energy policies.<\/p>\n<p>This left-wing activism is perhaps unsurprising when considering the partisanship displayed by the AAAS\u2019s leadership. The group\u2019s current CEO, Sudip Parikh, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemistryworld.com\/news\/latest-white-house-move-to-politicise-science-funding-provokes-outrage-among-research-leaders\/4023642.article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">regularly<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/science\/2025\/02\/06\/science-trump-orders-dei\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">criticized<\/a> the Trump administration and its policy agenda, including the president\u2019s 2020 move to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-07\/AAAS%20Statement%20on%20U.S.%20Withdrawal%20from%20the%20World%20Health%20Organization.pdf?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D05292439839401748324183456802189690287%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1658169605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">withdraw<\/a> America from the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/world-health-organization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Health Organization<\/a> over its mishandling of Covid. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-06\/AAAS%20Statement%20on%20EPA%20v%20West%20Virginia_1.pdf?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D05292439839401748324183456802189690287%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1658169605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attacked<\/a> a 2022 Supreme Court decision (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2021\/20-1530\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">West Virginia v. EPA<\/a><\/em>) limiting the EPA\u2019s regulatory authority over \u201cgreenhouse gas emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Parikh\u2019s predecessor, former Rep. Rush D. Holt, Jr., D-N.J., appears to be cut from the same cloth. According to CRC, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/exiting-paris-accord-cedes-us-scientific-leadership-role-says-aaas-ceo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">criticized<\/a> President Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw from the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/paris-climate-accords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paris Climate Accords<\/a> and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/leading-scientific-groups-urge-trump-rescind-immigration-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed<\/a> the AAAS as a supporter of an open letter\u201d urging the president to revoke his travel ban during his tenure as CEO. <\/p>\n<p>The AAAS is also bankrolled by numerous left-wing organizations and has inked contracts with the federal government, according to CRC. Its funders have reportedly included the left-wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-foundation\/\">John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/rockefeller-foundation\/\">Rockefeller Foundation<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/david-and-lucile-packard-foundation\/\">David and Lucile Packard Foundation<\/a>, and others. <\/p>\n<h2>Influence Operations<\/h2>\n<p>A trip further down the AAAS rabbit hole unveils just how the advocacy group advances its agenda throughout America\u2019s political ecosystem. Much of this strategy and what the AAAS seeks to accomplish is laid out in its fiscal-year 2024 IRS <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/530196568\/202523189349307407\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">990 Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As part of its \u201cmission\u201d statement, the AAAS echoes leftist jargon by saying that it strives to \u201cfoster inclusivity for scientific excellence.\u201d It brands itself as an organization that aims to \u201cbuild[] trust among scientists and engineers and broader communities and is a valued source of accurate scientific information that is foundational to countering <em>misinformation<\/em>\u201d (emphasis added).<\/p>\n<p>Often used by leftists to silence debate and \u2014 in the case of the Biden administration \u2014 as a pretext to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/disinformation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censor<\/a>\u00a0dissenting voices, countering \u201cmisinformation\u201d is a significant part of AAAS\u2019s platform. According to its 990, the group works to \u201cfoster relationships of mutual trust\u201d with journalists, judges, and other politically adjacent communities \u201cas a productive path to address misinformation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To accomplish this through U.S. courts, the AAAS cites the work of its Center for Scientific Responsibility and Justice (SRJ), which \u201cfosters collaboration among scientists and judges to enhance their understanding and application of scientific principles and evidence within the legal system.\u201d The center also \u201caims to expand judicial access to scientific information and education and provides scientists and engineers with opportunities to develop the professional skills and knowledge they need to engage effectively with the judiciary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As an example of this initiative in action, the AAAS said SRJ \u201cbegan developing resources to support judges as they continue to respond\u201d to what the group classified as \u201cchallenges brought on by the Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of the principle known as the Chevron Doctrine.\u201d The Federalist\u2019s Margot Cleveland recently <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/06\/09\/scotus-has-the-chance-to-deliver-decisive-blow-to-the-epas-unconstitutional-overreach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">noted<\/a> the high court <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/06\/28\/supreme-court-strikes-blow-to-administrative-state-overturns-chevron-doctrine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overturned<\/a> the unconstitutional <em>Chevron<\/em> doctrine \u2014 \u201cwhich required courts to defer to an agency\u2019s interpretation of a statute so long as it was reasonable\u201d \u2014 in its 2024 <em>Loper Bright<\/em> decision.<\/p>\n<h2>Ties to FJC Science Manual<\/h2>\n<p>The AAAS\u2019s history of left-wing advocacy was apparently not a problem for the Federal Judicial Center when it compiled its most recent science manual for judges. The manual shows that at least four FJC staff members who are listed as having worked on the guide boast ties to the AAAS. Unsurprisingly, several of these authors have an apparent affinity for left-wing ideology.<\/p>\n<p>Co-author Ellen Urheim <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legistorm.com\/person\/bio\/479152\/Ellen_Urheim.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">served<\/a> as a congressional staffer to former Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., prior to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ams.org\/news?news_id=7344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">becoming<\/a> an AAAS policy fellow for 2024-2025. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?contributor_name=Urheim%2C+Ellen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federal Election Commission<\/a> records indicate that Urheim has made several donations to ActBlue, a major Democrat Party fundraising platform under <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RNCResearch\/status\/2064726073611309322?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">federal scrutiny<\/a> for its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/20\/new-house-report-details-actblues-illicit-foreign-donations-and-a-cover-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">criminally suspect<\/a>\u00a0activities.<\/p>\n<p>Co-author Reshmina William, another former AAAS policy fellow, boasts an <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">X account<\/a> frequented with posts telegraphing her left-wing bias. With \u201cshe\/her\u201d pronouns in her bio, William has issued tweets that appear to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\/status\/1661753884707102721?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">criticize<\/a> the Trump administration\u2019s immigration policies and a 2023 Supreme Court decision <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2023\/05\/25\/supreme-court-clean-water-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">about<\/a> the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s regulatory power; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\/status\/1685427833198247941?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">espousing<\/a> \u201cdelight\u201d for a show about drag queens; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\/status\/1435312707994099714?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">congratulating<\/a> Pete Buttigieg and his male partner on acquiring a pair of motherless children; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\/status\/1318658969657901057?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wishing<\/a> Kamala Harris a happy birthday; and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ReshminaWilliam\/status\/1511710861005570051?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">quoting<\/a> from a \u201cfascinating\u201d Washington Post article about lawn management and climate change that said, \u201cA lawn is just a garden under totalitarian rule.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other listed manual co-authors and former AAAS policy fellows include Rebekah Petroff and Alexis Allegra. <\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The USAID Of Article III\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>These new revelations seemingly underscore a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenEricSchmitt\/status\/2042306549171786039?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">point<\/a> previously raised by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. That is, the mounting findings of the taxpayer-funded FJC\u2019s left-wing drift show that it has become \u201cthe USAID of Article III\u201d \u2014 an \u201cideological[ly] capture[d]\u201d body that is \u201cinfecting\u201d the judiciary with leftist orthodoxy. <\/p>\n<p>Such developments have prompted Schmitt and a few of his GOP colleagues, as well as Republican state attorneys general, to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruz.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/sens-cruz-lee-schmitt-blackburn-send-letter-urging-federal-judicial-center-to-end-climate-agenda-bias\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">probe<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/19\/23-state-ags-probe-federal-judicial-centers-distribution-of-biased-climate-guide-to-judges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the<\/a> FJC and its leadership about the agency\u2019s fall from grace. There also appear to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/bench-memos\/a-congressional-shot-across-the-bow-of-the-fjc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">efforts<\/a> in Congress to slash the FJC\u2019s budget for FY2027. <\/p>\n<p>Whether definitive accountability for the FJC\u2019s conduct is ultimately achieved remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the agency is not the \u201cobjective\u201d entity that it professes to be. <\/p>\n<p><em>Read parts <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/08\/meet-the-left-wing-activists-behind-the-guide-meant-to-advise-judges-on-climate-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/14\/far-left-academics-wrote-scientific-advisory-guide-used-to-influence-judges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two<\/a> of The Federalist\u2019s investigation into the Federal Judicial Center.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>   Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) has had its fair share of controversies throughout the past year. The taxpayer-funded agency was caught stuffing citations to left-wing climate activists into its most recent Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, which offers guidance to federal judges on science-related cases. Subsequent Federalist investigations also revealed the radical left-wing partisanship of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2613518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AAAS.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2613517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AAAS.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}