$7B in frozen funds sparks legal battle and questions of government overreach

By willowt // 2025-03-12

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The Biden administration's $20 billion "green bank" initiative, officially known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, is under scrutiny for alleged government waste and corruption. The fund, intended to finance clean energy projects and promote environmental justice, has been criticized for cronyism and mismanagement.
Two nonprofits, Climate United Fund and the Coalition for Green Capital, are suing the Trump administration and Citibank after their funds were frozen.
The funds were distributed with minimal oversight, and billions were deposited into Citibank accounts, creating a "pass-through" system that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticizes for undermining transparency. Zeldin accuses recipients of misconduct, waste and possible fraud, comparing the program to "throwing gold bars off the Titanic."
The initiative echoes past scandals like the Obama-era Solyndra case, where a solar company received $535 million in federal loans before bankruptcy. The Biden administration's rush to distribute funds before Trump's second term raises questions about the prioritization of politically connected groups and the lack of transparency.
The legal battle highlights a broader fight for accountability. Critics argue that the Trump administration is trying to reclaim irresponsibly distributed funds, while Democrats defend the initiative. The American people are left questioning the use of taxpayer dollars and the trustworthiness of government programs.

The Biden administration’s so-called “green bank” initiative, a 20 billion dollar climate slush fund, has become the latest battleground in the fight against government waste and corruption. Now, with 7 billion in frozen funds at the center of a legal showdown, the Trump administration is under fire from climate grifters who are crying foul. But as the details emerge, it’s clear that this is less about environmental justice and more about accountability — or the lack thereof.

The green bank boondoggle

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, was sold to the American public as a way to finance clean energy projects and promote environmental justice. But from the start, it reeked of cronyism and mismanagement. The fund awarded billions to nonprofits with questionable ties to Democratic operatives, including Stacey Abrams, the Georgia gubernatorial election denier whose organization received at least $2 billion. Now, two of these nonprofits — Climate United Fund and the Coalition for Green Capital — are suing the Trump administration and Citibank, claiming their funds were improperly frozen. Climate United, which was awarded nearly 7 billion, claims the freeze has left it unable to pay employees or issue loans. The Coalition for Green Capital, which received 5 billion, alleges breach of contract. These groups were handed billions of taxpayer dollars with minimal oversight. As EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has pointed out, the funds were parked in Citibank accounts, creating a “pass-through” system that undermined transparency. Zeldin has repeatedly accused the recipients of misconduct, waste and possible fraud, even comparing the program to “throwing gold bars off the Titanic.”

A pattern of waste and cronyism

This isn’t the first time taxpayer dollars have been funneled to politically connected groups under the guise of environmentalism. The Obama-era Solyndra scandal, in which a solar company received $535 million in federal loans before going bankrupt, is a cautionary tale. Now, history seems to be repeating itself. The Biden administration’s haste to distribute these funds before Trump’s second term began raises serious questions. Why were the funds deposited into Citibank accounts just before the transition? Why were groups with ties to Democratic politics given priority? And why is there so little transparency about how these billions are being spent? Zeldin has been vocal about these concerns. In a letter to the EPA’s watchdog, he questioned the qualifications of some of the entities overseeing the grants and highlighted their ties to the Biden administration. He also raised alarms about the lack of oversight, noting that the funds were effectively shielded from scrutiny by being held in private bank accounts.

The legal battle heats up

The lawsuits filed by Climate United and the Coalition for Green Capital are just the beginning. The Justice Department is also investigating the program, summoning recipients to court for testimony later this month. Acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin has demanded records from the nonprofits, including communications with EPA staff, transaction details and even proof that they completed an EPA training module called “How to Develop a Budget.” But here’s the kicker: much of this information is already available to the EPA through Citibank. So why the sudden urgency? Critics argue that the Trump administration is simply trying to claw back funds that were irresponsibly handed out in the first place. Meanwhile, Citibank has tried to distance itself from the controversy. Mark Costiglio, a Citibank spokesperson, stated, “Our role as financial agent does not involve any discretion over which organizations receive grant funds. Citi will of course comply with any judicial decision.” But this raises another question: why was a private bank entrusted with managing billions in taxpayer dollars?

A fight for accountability

At its core, this is a fight about accountability. The Biden administration rushed to distribute billions of dollars with little oversight, and now the Trump administration is trying to clean up the mess. But the climate grifters aren’t going down without a fight. Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell—three Democrats who pushed for the green bank’s creation—have slammed Zeldin’s actions as a “sham investigation and unsubstantiated funding freeze.” They claim the freeze will “cost jobs, increase prices and harm our communities.” But where is their outrage over the lack of transparency and potential misuse of taxpayer funds? The American people deserve answers. How much of this $20 billion has already been wasted? How much has gone to politically connected groups with little to show for it? And why is it so hard to get a straight answer from anyone involved? As this legal battle unfolds, one thing is clear: the green bank is a case study in government waste and cronyism. And until we have real accountability, the only thing that will be reduced is the trust of the American people. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com APNews.com Politco.com ThePostMillenial.com