By The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the recently-confirmed Administrator Lee Zeldin, has announced it has reclaimed $20 billion in federal climate funds doled out during the final moments of the Biden administration in an attempt to keep leftwing groups afloat during the Trump years. Zeldin stated that the funds, distributed through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, had been placed under the management of a financial institution in a process he described as rushed and lacking proper oversight. As part of this move, the EPA will terminate the financial agent agreement and return the money to the U.S. Treasury.
A Project Veritas investigation has revealed that EPA official Brent Efron admitted to aggressively disbursing over $100 billion in climate-related grants under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, describing the effort as an “insurance policy” against a Trump presidency. Efron acknowledged that the agency had been rushing to allocate funds to nonprofits before the Trump administration could halt the spending, even continuing efforts up until Inauguration Day. He suggested that these nonprofits would serve as a buffer, ensuring Biden’s climate policies persist beyond his presidency while shielding funds from potential Republican rollbacks.
BREAKING: @EPA Advisor Admits ‘Insurance Policy’ Against Trump is Funneling Billions to Climate Organizations, “We’re Throwing Gold Bars off the Titanic”
“It was an insurance policy against Trump winning.”
“Get the money out as fast as possible before they [Trump… pic.twitter.com/eaAihuNvAh
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) December 3, 2024
Efron further implied that his role in distributing these grants could secure him a lucrative job at one of the funded organizations. The video, in which he described the spending spree as “throwing gold bars off the Titanic,” has fueled criticism from conservatives, including Senator Mike Lee, who condemned the federal government’s unchecked power. Meanwhile, newly appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has vowed to investigate the matter, signaling a major shift in environmental policy under the Trump administration.
Zeldin framed the decision as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reevaluate and potentially roll back Biden-era climate policies. He criticized the financial arrangement as unprecedented in EPA history, emphasizing that the allocation process appeared to prioritize speed over transparency. In a video statement, he underscored his commitment to preventing waste and ensuring responsible management of taxpayer funds, pledging to refer the matter to the EPA Office of Inspector General, Congress, and the U.S. Department of Justice for further investigation.
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was established under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to facilitate investments in clean energy initiatives, including solar panels and heat pumps, according to The Washington Post. The Biden administration had engaged a financial institution—reportedly Citigroup, based on public records—to oversee the distribution of funds to nonprofits and state programs. While Zeldin did not explicitly name Citi in his remarks, he questioned whether the agreement had sufficient accountability. A spokesperson for Citi declined to comment.
The move to reclaim the funds is expected to trigger legal disputes, particularly given a recent federal court ruling that found the Trump administration in violation of a prior order to release previously approved federal grants. Defenders of the climate fund, including Zealan Hoover, a former EPA official involved in implementing the program, argued that the financial arrangement was in line with longstanding Treasury Department practices. He pointed to historical precedents in which private financial institutions had been used as government financial agents, including during pandemic relief efforts and airline industry bailouts.
Zeldin stated that he had asked the EPA’s inspector general to investigate if any former Biden staffers had moved on to the groups receiving the billions in cash.
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