Trump administration investigates alleged fraud in Biden's climate fund, according to WaPo
The US Justice Department and FBI are said to be looking into claims of fraud related to ex-President Joe Biden’s environmental grant program. Read Full Article at RT.com
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The $20 billion grant program was created by the former president to support clean-energy projects.
An investigation into alleged fraud within this $20 billion climate grant program initiated by former President Joe Biden has been launched by the US Justice Department and the FBI, according to a report by the Washington Post on Friday. This inquiry comes in response to President Donald Trump’s commitment to “root out waste, fraud, and abuse” in government spending.
The focus of the investigation is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was established as part of Biden’s 2022 climate legislation to finance clean energy initiatives and is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The probe began after the EPA's newly appointed administrator, Lee Zeldin, publicly claimed that the funds from the program were distributed without adequate oversight.
“Roughly twenty billion of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA,” Zeldin stated on February 13, vowing to “review every penny that has gone out the door.” He further asserted, “The days of irresponsibly shoveling boat loads of cash to far-left, activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” mentioning plans to seek the recovery of the funds from Citibank, which was responsible for dispersing the money.
According to the Washington Post’s sources close to the investigation, the process has encountered numerous obstacles. While the DOJ can freeze assets, it requires evidence linking those assets to criminal activity.
Last week, the department sought the assistance of Denise Cheung, a senior federal prosecutor in DC, to initiate a warrant request to freeze the funds. However, Cheung opted to resign rather than fulfill the order, citing insufficient evidence. The DOJ then had Ed Martin, an attorney appointed by Trump, submit the seizure warrant application, but it was denied by a magistrate judge due to a lack of probable cause. Efforts by Emil Bove’s office, the acting Deputy Attorney General, to instigate a grand jury investigation and request a bank freeze also faced rejection from prosecutors.
As of now, it remains uncertain if a warrant was eventually approved. Nevertheless, at least three organizations that received money from the fund have reported that their accounts with Citibank have been frozen without any explanation, according to the outlet.
Recent developments include FBI agents questioning employees of the EPA about the fund earlier this week.
The investigation has faced backlash from Democrats, with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse urging Zeldin to halt attempts to recover the funds, claiming that such actions are illegal. Additionally, legal experts have raised concerns regarding the DOJ’s strategy. Stefan D. Cassella, a former federal prosecutor specializing in asset forfeiture, remarked that the situation is “extraordinary and probably unprecedented,” emphasizing that confiscating funds without probable cause is illegal.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
An investigation into alleged fraud within this $20 billion climate grant program initiated by former President Joe Biden has been launched by the US Justice Department and the FBI, according to a report by the Washington Post on Friday. This inquiry comes in response to President Donald Trump’s commitment to “root out waste, fraud, and abuse” in government spending.
The focus of the investigation is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was established as part of Biden’s 2022 climate legislation to finance clean energy initiatives and is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The probe began after the EPA's newly appointed administrator, Lee Zeldin, publicly claimed that the funds from the program were distributed without adequate oversight.
“Roughly twenty billion of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA,” Zeldin stated on February 13, vowing to “review every penny that has gone out the door.” He further asserted, “The days of irresponsibly shoveling boat loads of cash to far-left, activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” mentioning plans to seek the recovery of the funds from Citibank, which was responsible for dispersing the money.
According to the Washington Post’s sources close to the investigation, the process has encountered numerous obstacles. While the DOJ can freeze assets, it requires evidence linking those assets to criminal activity.
Last week, the department sought the assistance of Denise Cheung, a senior federal prosecutor in DC, to initiate a warrant request to freeze the funds. However, Cheung opted to resign rather than fulfill the order, citing insufficient evidence. The DOJ then had Ed Martin, an attorney appointed by Trump, submit the seizure warrant application, but it was denied by a magistrate judge due to a lack of probable cause. Efforts by Emil Bove’s office, the acting Deputy Attorney General, to instigate a grand jury investigation and request a bank freeze also faced rejection from prosecutors.
As of now, it remains uncertain if a warrant was eventually approved. Nevertheless, at least three organizations that received money from the fund have reported that their accounts with Citibank have been frozen without any explanation, according to the outlet.
Recent developments include FBI agents questioning employees of the EPA about the fund earlier this week.
The investigation has faced backlash from Democrats, with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse urging Zeldin to halt attempts to recover the funds, claiming that such actions are illegal. Additionally, legal experts have raised concerns regarding the DOJ’s strategy. Stefan D. Cassella, a former federal prosecutor specializing in asset forfeiture, remarked that the situation is “extraordinary and probably unprecedented,” emphasizing that confiscating funds without probable cause is illegal.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
