Biden’s $20 billion green slush fund under FBI probe: A scandal of waste, corruption and political cronyism

By willowt // 2025-03-03

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The Biden administration’s $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) is under FBI scrutiny for potential fraud, abuse and cronyism, with allegations of rushed funding decisions and lack of oversight.
A secretly recorded video revealed a Biden EPA official describing the frantic distribution of funds as “throwing gold bars off the Titanic,” highlighting reckless haste and reduced oversight in allocating taxpayer dollars.
Nearly $14 billion in GGRF funds were awarded to organizations with close ties to Biden allies and Democratic insiders, raising concerns about favoritism and misuse of public funds.
The FBI probe faces pushback from career prosecutors and judges due to insufficient evidence, while the Trump administration seeks to recover the funds, emphasizing the need for accountability.
The GGRF scandal underscores systemic issues of government waste, corruption and eroded public trust, serving as a cautionary tale against unchecked spending and political cronyism in federal programs.

The Biden administration’s $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a cornerstone of its climate agenda, is now at the center of a sprawling FBI investigation into potential fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. The probe, which has escalated in recent weeks, has exposed a web of political connections, rushed funding decisions and allegations of cronyism that have left conservatives and watchdog groups outraged. The GGRF, established under President Biden’s 2022 climate law, was designed to finance green energy projects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the program has been marred by accusations of favoritism, lack of oversight and a blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility. Now, with the FBI interviewing EPA employees and the Trump administration working to claw back the funds, the scandal has become a symbol of government waste and corruption at its worst.

A rush to obligate funds: “Throwing gold bars off the Titanic”

One of the most damning revelations in the investigation comes from a secretly recorded video by Project Veritas, a conservative activist group. In the footage, a Biden EPA official, Brent Efron, is heard describing the administration’s frantic efforts to distribute funds before the Trump administration took office. “It truly feels like we’re on the Titanic, and we’re throwing, like, gold bars off the edge,” Efron said in the video. This shocking admission underscores the Biden EPA’s reckless haste in obligating $20 billion in taxpayer funds. According to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the Biden administration parked the money at Citibank in a last-minute maneuver to make it harder for the incoming Trump administration to recover the funds. “Roughly twenty billion of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA,” Zeldin said in a statement. “This scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history and was purposefully designed to obligate all of the money in a rush job with reduced oversight.” The rushed process has raised serious concerns about the vetting of grant recipients. Acting EPA Inspector General Nicole Murley testified before Congress that the agency’s push to meet statutory deadlines may have compromised the screening process for potential awardees.

Cronyism and political connections: Billions for Biden allies

The GGRF’s awardees have drawn sharp criticism for their close ties to the Biden administration and Democratic Party insiders. Among the recipients are Climate United, the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) and Power Forward Communities, which collectively received nearly $14 billion. The CGC, in particular, has come under scrutiny for its board members’ political connections. David Hayes, a former Biden White House climate adviser, sits on the CGC’s board. Hayes left the White House in 2022 and returned to the CGC, which later secured $5 billion from the GGRF. “This greendoggle is precisely the type of situation that has helped destroy the public’s trust in its government,” said Michael Chamberlain, executive director of Protect the Public’s Trust, a government watchdog group. “Hayes’s own description of his work at the White House sounds like he helped create the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program. And by some combination of incredible coincidence and amazingly good fortune, the organization he left to serve on the board of somehow ends up getting $5 billion from that program. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.” Other CGC board members include Cecilia Martinez, a former Biden White House official, and Julie Greene Collier, a former Democratic National Committee employee. These connections have fueled allegations that the GGRF was less about environmental justice and more about funneling taxpayer dollars to political allies.

FBI investigation and legal pushback

The FBI’s involvement in the probe has added a new layer of complexity to the scandal. Agents have reportedly questioned EPA employees about the GGRF, focusing on potential violations of federal wire fraud and conspiracy statutes. However, the investigation has faced pushback from career prosecutors and judges who have questioned the evidence. In one instance, a senior prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., resigned rather than carry out the Trump administration’s demand to freeze the funds. Denise Cheung, the former head of the criminal division, wrote in her resignation letter that the investigation lacked sufficient evidence of a crime. “To seize bank accounts without probable cause would be illegal,” said Stefan D. Cassella, a former federal prosecutor and asset forfeiture expert. “That’s why prosecutors in D.C. responsibly refused to do it.” Despite the legal hurdles, the Trump EPA remains committed to recovering the $20 billion. Zeldin has vowed to review every penny of the GGRF funds and has referred the matter to the EPA Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Justice.

A legacy of waste and corruption

The GGRF scandal is not just a story of one mismanaged program; it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked government spending and political cronyism. The Biden administration’s rush to distribute funds, coupled with the lack of oversight and transparency, has left taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars with little to show for it. Historically, such scandals have eroded public trust in government institutions. From the Solyndra debacle during the Obama administration to the GGRF under Biden, these episodes highlight a troubling pattern of using taxpayer dollars to reward political allies rather than serve the public interest. As the FBI investigation unfolds and the Trump administration works to recover the funds, one thing is clear: the GGRF is a glaring example of government waste and corruption that must not be repeated. Conservatives and fiscal watchdogs will continue to demand accountability, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and transparently. The days of shoveling cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice are over. It’s time to restore integrity to government spending and put an end to the cronyism that has plagued Washington for far too long. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com TheDailyCaller.com TheDailyCaller.com TheWashingtonPost.com