Newly confirmed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin recently revealed in financial disclosure forms that he was paid consulting fees by an investor who is a member of the Qatari royal family.

Heritage Advisors, Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani’s London-based venture capital firm, paid Zeldin “compensation exceeding $5,000” from April of 2023 through December of that year, according to documents filed with the Office of Government Ethics as required for Cabinet nominees. 

Zeldin did not specify what work he did for the fund or exactly how much he was compensated in the filing, though he did state that the role did not require him to register as a foreign agent.

A spokesperson for Zeldin did not respond to Jewish Insider’s request for comment on the work or if it impacted his position on Qatari state sponsorship of U.S. think tanks and universities, which the former New York congressman once vocally opposed.

Zeldin was a vocal critic of the Gulf monarchy during his time as a member of Congress from 2015-2023, publicly cautioning against Qatari government influence in the U.S. amid their ongoing global influence campaign, in which the Qataris have spent billions targeting U.S. academia, politics and critical industries. 

He wrote an op-ed published in Newsweek in February of 2023 accusing Qatar and other countries of running an influence operation in the U.S. by funding think tanks. 

“Think tanks wield an outsized influence with legislators, who often adopt their positions wholesale, presenting foreign governments a chance to covertly shape U.S. policy,” Zeldin wrote. “But what happens when the ‘experts’ filling these roles are effectively paid agents of foreign governments like China, Russia, Iran, and Qatar?”

The piece ran before Zeldin began his work for Heritage Advisors. 

Reached by Politico late last month, a Zeldin spokesperson declined to comment on Zeldin’s relationship with Al Thani or his work with Heritage Advisors, though they provided a statement from a then-Trump transition spokesperson stating, “All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies.”

A spokesperson for Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversaw Zeldin’s confirmation process, told JI in a statement that Zeldin had “disclosed all required financial information, completed his ethics agreement, and will honorably serve our country — as he has before in the U.S. Military and House of Representatives — as the next EPA Administrator.”

Zeldin is one of several Trump officials who have business ties to Qatari leaders. Others include Attorney General Pam Bondi, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to be FBI director. 

Bondi acted as a lobbyist for the government of Qatar in her capacity as a partner at Ballard Partners, and Witkoff has a history of financial dealings with the kingdom. Patel was a consultant to the Qatari government through Trishul, his consulting company he managed from early 2021 until he was nominated for the FBI job.

Qatar has ties to terror groups including Hamas, the Taliban and Al-Qaida, including hosting Hamas leaders and providing funding to the terror group. Qatar has garnered praise from both the Biden and second Trump administration for its role in hostage-release and cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel, but the country’s ties to Hamas have also reignited criticism among members of Congress and other officials.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, seeing Qatar as providing cover for Hamas during months of hostage negotiations, have urged the U.S. to significantly increase pressure on the Gulf monarchy and reevaluate its relationship with Doha.