A U.S. judge on Wednesday pressed President Donald Trump’s administration for evidence of fraud, waste and abuse in a $20 billion climate funding program that the administration has moved to terminate.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she would order the administration to file a sworn statement by Monday detailing the evidence used to justify ending the grant, which aimed to fund greenhouse gas reduction projects.
“You can’t even tell me what the evidence of malfeasance is,” Chutkan told a lawyer for the Trump administration during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington.
Climate advocates and Democrats say the move illegally seizes money allocated for clean energy and transportation for disadvantaged communities.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin had publicized his campaign to claw back money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which Congress appropriated under the Biden administration to kick-start projects aimed at curbing pollution.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the EPA said it had clawed back the funds, saying the program did not align with the agency’s priorities, citing concerns with potential fraud, waste and abuse, although it gave no details or evidence for the allegations.
Chutkan’s demand for evidence came as part of a lawsuit brought by the Climate United Fund advocacy group, which sued the EPA and Citigroup for withholding the funds.
The group is seeking an emergency order temporarily requiring Citibank to disburse funds at its request, warning that it will run out of money as soon as Friday.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/united-states/trump-administration-cuts-20-bn-in-climate-funds-judge-seeks-evidence-of-fraud-13871149.html.
