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A Tampa-based company with ties to a Chinese state-owned enterprise has been accused of funneling foreign-linked contributions to U.S. political campaigns, including those of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and various Democratic committees, as part of a broader pattern of political giving.
According to investigative information from a recently filed FEC complaint filed by Florida Senatorial Candidate Chris Gleason, iGas Clean Energy, Inc., a Tampa, Florida subsidiary of Zhejiang Juhua Co., Ltd.—a corporation listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange—directed funds through a network of entities and individuals. The Zhejiang Provincial SASAC, an entity under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), holds a 34% controlling stake in Zhejiang Juhua, making it the largest shareholder and subjecting the company to claims of de facto CCP government control. This determination has been upheld in U.S. Department of Commerce proceedings across multiple administrations, including judicial reviews by the Court of International Trade and Federal Circuit.
The report alleges that over a 10-year period, this network contributed a total of $2.43 million to 147 federal political committees. While the majority (approximately 94%) reportedly went to Republican recipients—such as the NRCC—the operation also targeted Democratic entities, totaling over $140,000 across more than 30 committees.
Key Democratic recipients highlighted include:
For Georgia-specific recipients during the pivotal 2020-2021 election cycle—when both Senate seats flipped Democratic—the network allegedly contributed:
Totaling $1,732 across 42 contributions to Georgia Democratic infrastructure.
Sen. Ossoff, who serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (overseeing foreign threats to U.S. national security and elections), the Senate Appropriations Committee (which influences federal spending, including EPA budgets relevant to refrigerant imports), and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (with jurisdiction over foreign influence operations), received $490 from the network. Prior to his Senate career, Ossoff led Insight TWI, a documentary firm focused on exposing foreign corruption.
The alleged scheme involved multiple channels, including:
iGas imports HFC refrigerants produced by Juhua facilities in China. The company has faced EPA enforcement actions, including a $382,000 fine in 2022, and has litigated EPA allocation methodologies for HFC allowances under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.
The report characterizes the bipartisan distribution as a hallmark of foreign influence operations, aimed at securing regulatory access regardless of party control. Public records and media coverage have documented iGas and Meng's significant political giving, predominantly to Republicans—including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and various GOP figures—amid the company's regulatory battles over refrigerant imports and allocations.
No direct evidence from federal campaign finance databases or major news outlets confirms illegal foreign-sourced contributions in the specific amounts or chains described, as U.S. law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal campaigns. Contributions appear to have been made by U.S.-based entities and individuals. Sen. Ossoff's campaign finance summaries from sources like OpenSecrets and the FEC show broad individual and tech-sector support but do not itemize the small alleged amounts from this network in top contributor lists.
The claims raise questions about potential foreign influence in U.S. politics through corporate subsidiaries with overseas ties, particularly in industries subject to federal regulation.
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