Corporate media have giddily elevated a leftist-led protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that occurred while the justices heard arguments in a battle over Democrats’ climate lawfare. But the real story surrounding this kerfuffle centers around several of the demonstration’s participants and their involvement in the case.
In Suncor v. Boulder, the high court will determine the fate of a lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado, against Suncor Energy companies and Exxon Mobil. The locality is seeking monetary damages based on allegations that the oil giants’ activities are contributing to “climate change,” which is harming its residents.
The New York Times reported how “dozens of protestors” gathered outside the court as the justices heard arguments in the case to voice support for Boulder. According to the outlet, the demonstration was organized by Fossil Free Media and the Center for Climate Integrity, two left-wing climate activist groups.
While featuring speeches from figures like former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, the event’s more notable attendees included Kathryn Bedell and Deirdre Macnab. The women are two of seven self-professed ranchers who signed onto an amicus brief supporting Boulder in the Suncor litigation.
In their brief, the ranchers argue that climate change is “a lived reality that disrupts their lives and threatens their livelihoods.” They further attempt to make an emotional appeal by describing the alleged “heartbreak that underlies this case.”
“Beyond the personal tragedy for ranchers who feel a deep attachment to ranches that have been in their families for generations, the decline of ranching is felt not only in Colorado’s economy (and — as beef prices rise — in the nation’s economy), but also in a loss of community in rural areas and care for the land that ranching helps to preserve,” the brief reads.
The filing and its framing appear directed at Justice Neil Gorsuch, a fourth-generation Coloradan who served as a judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals for more than a decade. The former role arguably gave Gorsuch significant exposure to issues that arise disproportionately in the West, such as natural resource disputes and the relationship between federal, state, and tribal governments.
But Bedell and Macnab showing up to Monday’s protest isn’t even the most interesting part of this story. A deep dive into the amici ranchers’ backgrounds reveals that several of them are radical left-wing partisans and/or hold ties to Democrats’ dark money network.
For starters, Bedell serves as a Democrat appointee on Colorado’s Agricultural Commission. The body is tasked with providing recommendations to state officials “regarding agricultural issues within the state; developing policies for preparing and enforcing rules and regulations related to agriculture; reviewing and approving all rules and regulations prior to adoption by the [state Agriculture] Commissioner; developing general policy for managing the agriculture department; and approving and monitoring the agriculture department’s budget.”
Bedell also chaired the Western Organization of Resource Councils’ (WORC) Agriculture and Food Campaign team. As described by InfluenceWatch, WORC is a lobbying and advocacy coalition comprised “of left-leaning political activist groups based in seven western states with prominent agricultural and energy industries.” The organization “opposes oil, coal, and gas energy development and supports farming and trade policies that favor its members’ farming and ranching operations at the expense of other food production.”
WORC and its “education project” have collectively received boatloads of grants tied to left-wing dark money groups like the Soros-backed Tides Foundation, the Bezos Earth Fund, the Windward Fund, and others. While Tides is a notable funder of Sher Edling — a for-profit law firm supporting localities’ climate-damages lawsuits against energy companies (including Boulder’s) — Windward is a tentacle of the left-wing Arabella Advisors network.
[READ: Big Law Is Backing The Climate Adversaries Of Their Energy Clients]
More notable about Bedell, however, is an online social media presence demonstrating her visceral disdain for President Trump, Republicans, and conservative-aligned figures.
In a Sept. 15 Facebook post, the Colorado resident reacted to a New York Times article that detailed Trump’s efforts to ensure states have accurate voter rolls. She espoused support for “throw[ing]” the president’s “-ss out” of office if the midterms don’t turn out the way she seemingly hopes.
“What the F…. are we doing? How the hell can this guy still have 30% support?” Bedell wrote. “F…. Voke [sic], no matter how hard it is and if the election ends up being a disaster it will be time to go in MASS to Washington and throw his -ss out and take back our country. Because it is our country!”
In addition to sharing a post claiming that Trump rigged the 2016 and 2024 elections, Bedell also features several posts on her Facebook feed that compare the Trump-led United States to Nazi Germany. She’s also aimed her fire at the very Supreme Court she is now asking to rule in Boulder’s favor in Suncor. This includes sharing a post on Aug. 27 that calls for the next Democrat Congress to “investigate the Supreme Court’s well-documented corruption” and “get on board with court expansion before it’s too late.”
One of Bedell’s most egregious reposts, however, came on May 22 in a post seemingly referencing the Supreme Court’s 2024 presidential immunity decision. The original post appears to suggest that the photographed individuals — which include Trump administration officials and allies, as well as Justice Clarence Thomas — would lose immunity after Trump leaves office and should be “hanged.”
“Hitler’s SS had immunity too. Until he was gone….. Then they were all hanged,” the post reads.
Bedell is hardly the only amici rancher whose political interests lie on the left.
Prior to her stint as a Colorado rancher, Macnab served as president of the League of Women Voters’ Florida chapter. LWV is a left-wing advocacy group that seeks to advance Democrat-backed policies across the country. The organization, its charity wing, and local chapters have received funding from a bevy of leftist dark money groups, according to InfluenceWatch.
Amici rancher Jay Fetcher sits on the board of directors for Conservation Colorado, a left-wing environmentalist organization whose education fund has received funds tied to dark money groups like the Energy Foundation and the Wyss Foundation. The latter group was founded by Hansjorg Wyss, a Swiss national who has repeatedly interfered in U.S. elections via his Berger Action Fund.
Meanwhile, amici rancher Mike Callicrate sits on the board of directors for the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP), another environmental activist group. The organization claims that the modern food and agriculture industry “perpetuates social and racial injustices” and “exacerbates climate change.” The group also touts its “commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” on its website.
Neither Bedell nor Macnab responded to The Federalist’s request for comment via their legal counsel by deadline.
The Supreme Court will presumably cast a preliminary vote on the Suncor case at its private conference on Friday. A decision is not expected to be released until later in the 2026 term.
