Investigative journalist Laura Loomer has uncovered troubling financial details about the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), shedding light on the large salaries paid to its top executives.

Loomer, on February 11, revealed her findings on X (formerly Twitter), stating that NFWF’s CEO, Jeffrey Trandahl, earned a salary of $1,211,150 during the fiscal year from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023.

According to Loomer, this seven-figure salary has been a consistent payout for Trandahl for several years, raising questions about the ethics of paying such high compensation at a charity funded largely by U.S. taxpayer dollars.
In addition to Trandahl, Loomer pointed out that other high-ranking NFWF officials also received significant salaries. These include Executive Vice President of External Affairs Lila Helms and Senior Vice President Thomas Kelsch, with earnings ranging from $214,000 to $549,000. These compensation packages have further fueled criticism of NFWF’s pay structure, especially since much of the foundation's funding comes from U.S. government grants.

For the fiscal year in question, NFWF received over $165 million in government grants from agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Bureau of Land Management. Given that taxpayer money finances the foundation, critics are questioning the justification for such lavish salaries within an organization that is supposed to be serving public environmental interests.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2527917/national-fish-and-wildlife-foundation-high-salary-scandal-exposed-amid-federal-funding-controversy