Ocean Wonks LLC is a left-of-center consulting firm specializing in ocean conservation. Sandra Whitehouse, the wife of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), is president of Ocean Wonks. She is a self-described “expert on ocean policy” and has articulated her consulting area of expertise as “advancing ocean sustainability grounded in social justice” and a familiarity with environmental law and regulation. ¹ With her background in marine science, Sandra has worked as a consultant to multiple environmentalist organizations, helping design policies that protect oceans, marine ecosystems, and coastal economies. ¹

Background

Ocean Wonks was founded in 2017 in Newport, Rhode Island. ¹

Tax documents through June 2022 from the Ocean Conservancy show that for every year since the reporting period ending June 2010, Sandra Whitehouse (or her consulting firm, Ocean Wonks LLC) was one of the nonprofit’s five highest paid consultants. Total payments during that period equaled $2,628,654. ²

Whitehouse’s LinkedIn account shows she became a senior policy advisor for Ocean Conservancy in September 2008, but tax records do not list her as one of the five highest paid consultants for the year ending September 2009. ^{1 2}

Controversy

In February 2025, ethics watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) placed a request to Senate Select Committee on Ethics Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) to investigate Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) over accusations that he “violated the Senate ethics rules on conflicts of interest” by voting on legislation that may have benefited his wife Sandra’s ocean conservation nonprofit Ocean Conservancy which also pays her through Ocean Wonks LLC. ³ According to LinkedIn, Sandra Whitehouse has served as president of OceanWonks LLC since 2017, while listing her as a Senior Policy Advisor for Ocean Conservancy since 2008. ⁴ Data from USASpending.gov appears to show that Ocean Conservancy has received over $14.2 million in federal grants between 2008 and 2025, with nearly $7 million being through two grants received in 2024 alone. ⁵ The two grants in question were a $5.2 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and another $1.7 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to a Fox News article, the NOAA grant was funded through the Biden Administration‘s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) while the EPA grant was funded through the agency’s annual appropriations bill, both of which Sen. Whitehouse voted in favor of. In addition, the article claims that tax documents show Sandra Whitehouse has received $2,686,800 from Ocean Conservancy between 2010 and 2025 either directly or through Ocean Wonks LLC. ³ According to FACT executive director Kendra Arnold, “While these two grants alone appear to be a conflict of interest, it is even more egregious in the context of Senator Whitehouse’s long history of working on legislation being lobbied for by organizations tied to his wife.” ³

Leadership

Sandra Whitehouse, the wife of U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), is president of Ocean Wonks. She is a self-described “expert on ocean policy” and articulated her consulting area of expertise for another organization as “advancing ocean sustainability grounded in social justice” and a familiarity with environmental law and regulation. ¹ With her background in marine science, Sandra has worked as a consultant to multiple environmentalist organizations, helping design policies that protect oceans, marine ecosystems, and coastal economies. ¹

1. “Sandra Whitehouse.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 10, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-whitehouse-54099217/.
2. Ocean Conservancy, Inc. EIN: 23-7245152. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. IRS Form 990 returns since 2001. Payments to five highest paid consultants. Accessed July 15, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237245152.
3. Johnson, Julia. “Ethics watchdog flags senator helping wife rake in millions for nonprofit.” Fox News, February 24, 2025. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ethics-watchdog-flags-senator-helping-make-millions-wifes-green-nonprofit
4. “Sandra Whitehouse.” LinkedIn, Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-whitehouse-54099217
5. “Federal grants: Ocean Conservancy for FY 2008 through FY 2025.” USASpending.gov, Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=130aa36be96cc5ed66be37b2808655f1