ICYMI: Administrator Lee Zeldin Announces EPA Found Billions of Dollars Parked at an Outside Financial Institution by Biden Administration
Administrator Zeldin Demands Termination of Biden-Harris Financial Agent Agreement and Return of Entire Fund Balance
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency found $20 billion dollars parked at a financial institution by the Biden-Harris Administration to fund partisan pet projects.
Administrator Zeldin called for termination of the financial agent agreement, and for the immediate return of the entire fund balance to the United States Treasury to ensure EPA oversight. He will also be referring this matter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Congress, and the agency will work with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The discovery comes on the heels of a video released of a Biden EPA political appointee talking about “tossing gold bars off the titanic,” intentionally rushing to get billions of tax dollars out of the agency before Inauguration Day in a reckless attempt to avoid oversight.
In the last couple of days, the Administrator also identified and cancelled a $50 million Biden-era environmental justice grant to the Climate Justice Alliance and announced that the agency would not be renewing nearly half a million dollars in media subscriptions to Politico and its subsidiaries.
Administrator Zeldin is steadfast in his commitment to review agency spending line-by-line to ensure every penny spent is to advance clean air, land and water for all Americans.
Read the coverage below:
New York Post EXCLUSIVE: EPA head Lee Zeldin reveals no real oversight of shocking $20B that Biden admin funneled through Citibank: ‘Tip of the iceberg’
“This was an arrangement the EPA sought out, working with the Biden Treasury Department to park $20 billion outside of government and that deliberately resulted in less transparency, accountability and oversight.
“And I committed to Congress and the American people during my confirmation hearing that I would do everything in my power if confirmed to ensure there wasn’t any waste and abuse and I was going to get to the bottom of all of these funds.
“This is something that is a highest concern and priority for us. We have very high confidence that this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Blaze Media: Lee Zeldin reveals how much taxpayer money the EPA is saving through cutting waste
“Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, explained to Americans the recent steps he has taken to cut down on wasteful spending by the federal government's environment watchdog.
On Wednesday, Zeldin said his staff is working to recover over $20 billion that was stashed outside the EPA by then-political appointees within the EPA under the Biden-Harris administration.
“‘This scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history, and it was purposefully designed to obligate all of the money in a rush job with reduced oversight,’ Zeldin stated, noting that only eight entities would be in charge of disbursing that money to politically aligned non-governmental organizations. Zeldin said the bank the money was allocated to must return all of the funds to the EPA.”
Breitbart: Lee Zeldin Cancels $50 Million Contract for ‘Free Palestine’ Climate Group
“Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday that he had canceled a Biden-era contract awarded to the Climate Justice Alliance, a group that claimed it was working toward a ‘Free Palestine’… As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, Zeldin is fighting to claw back $20 billion in grants handed out by the Biden EPA in its last weeks in office to an array of powerful left-wing non-governmental organizations and activist causes.”
Daily Caller: Radical Left-Wing Activist Org Sunsetting Grant Program Biden EPA Wanted To Fund To Tune Of $50 Million
“CJA is sunsetting the “environmental justice”-focused grant program that the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought to fund with $50 million from one of the agency’s massive “environmental justice” grant programs, a spokesperson representing the group confirmed to the DCNF. The funds that the Biden EPA looked to route to CJA did not make it out the door before President Donald Trump and his team took power in Washington in January, and the Trump EPA is not at all keen to allow those dollars to get to CJA and other left-wing activist organizations that emerged as major beneficiaries of Biden EPA spending programs…
“CJA describes itself as ‘building a Just Transition away from extractive systems of production, consumption and political oppression’ and believes that ‘the path to climate justice travels through a free Palestine.’ The organization offers several printable posters, ostensibly for use in protest demonstrations, on its website that advocate for causes like defunding the police and abolishing prisons, among other radical positions.”
Daily Wire News: Lee Zeldin Reveals EPA Found Unprecedented Scheme Biden Admin Used To Funnel Money To Leftists
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a video released on Wednesday night that his agency has discovered an unprecedented scheme that was utilized by the Biden administration to funnel money to far-Left activist groups.
“‘An extremely disturbing video circulated two months ago featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about how they were ‘tossing gold bars off the Titanic,’ rushing to get billions of your tax dollars out the door before Inauguration Day,’ Zeldin said. He continued, ‘The gold bars were tax dollars, and tossing them off the Titanic meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it.’
“Zeldin said that he has contacted the U.S. Justice Department and the inspector general to launch investigations into the $20 billion that was transferred to an outside financial institution for the purpose of doling out funds to leftist organizations during Biden’s final days in office.”
Fox News: EPA administrator Zeldin demands return of $20B in taxpayer money wasted by Biden administration
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday that his team has located $20 billion in tax dollars that the Biden administration purposely wasted… He said that ‘this scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history, and it was purposefully designed to obligate all the money in a rush job with reduced oversight’ before Inauguration Day. Zeldin said ‘there is zero reason to suspect any wrongdoing by the bank,’ but he thinks an agreement with the institution ‘needs to be instantly terminated’ and all the money should be immediately returned. He says the EPA needs to resume responsibility for all of these funds, adding that his team will ‘review every penny that has gone out the door.’”
Newsmax: Lee Zeldin to Newsmax: Climate Hoax Blows Billions in Name of 'Environmental Justice'
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told Newsmax on Thursday that ‘it's crazy’ that the Biden administration awarded $20 billion in clean-energy grants to non-governmental organizations and said it was willing to blow billions in ‘the name of environmental justice.’
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“‘It needs to be with the government,’ he said. ‘It needs to be with the American taxpayer. I, as the administrator of EPA, have to have the ability to go before Congress and account for these funds. So, when the video came out that you all know about, a couple months ago, Biden EPA political appointees saying that they were tossing these gold bars off the Titanic, I was going through my confirmation hearing. And part of that process, you meet individually with senators. They were all concerned about it.’
“‘They wanted my commitment, if confirmed, as soon as you get there, will you make it a top priority to get to the bottom of where these gold bars are?’ he said. ‘We found the gold bars. Now we want to bring them back into control of government. And whether it's $20 billion … or it's finding some way to save $100,000, none of this is our money in government. It is the people's money. It is our duty to have zero tolerance for any waste and abuse.’”
New York Post: Lee Zeldin demands return of $20B 'parked' at a financial institution by 'Biden EPA' to dole out to climate groups
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday that he’s found $20 billion in taxpayer money that the Biden administration ‘parked’ at a financial institution — in an apparent effort to prevent the Trump administration from cutting grants to ‘far-left activist groups.’
“Zeldin, 45, explained in a video posted on X that the Biden administration’s obfuscation was unprecedented and he demanded that the unnamed financial institution immediately return the funds to the EPA.
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“‘Let me make one thing abundantly clear: At this point, there is zero reason to suspect any wrongdoing by the bank,’ Zeldin said, before making it known that he wants the money back.”
PJ Media: Lee Zeldin Just Discovered $20 Billion Laundered by the Biden Admin
“Zeldin underscored the urgency of accountability, declaring, ‘One of my very top priorities at EPA is to be an excellent steward of your hard-earned tax dollars. There will be zero tolerance of any waste and abuse.’ The controversy goes back two months when a video of a Biden EPA appointee referring to taxpayer funds as ‘gold bars’ being ‘tossed off the Titanic’ went viral. ‘The gold bars were tax dollars, and tossing them off the Titanic meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it,’ he explained…
“Zeldin specifically called out the Climate United Fund, which received nearly $7 billion from this pot. He posed vital questions about funding decisions, potential conflicts of interest, and the involvement of former Biden staffers.
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“‘We will review every penny that has gone out the door,’ Zeldin declared, indicating that necessary measures would be taken to restore oversight and accountability. ‘I will be referring this matter to the Inspector General’s office and will work with the Justice Department as well. The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over.’”
RealClear Politics: Zeldin: Biden EPA Was Shoveling Boatloads Of Cash To Left-Wing Activist Groups In The Name Of Environmental Justice
“EPA: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency has found billions of taxpayer dollars parked at a financial institution by the Biden-Harris Administration. Administrator Zeldin is calling for termination of the financial agent agreement, and for the immediate return of the entire fund balance to the United States Treasury to ensure EPA oversight. Administrator Zeldin also announced that he will be referring this matter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Congress, and the agency will work with the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Washington Examiner: EPA looks to claw back $20B in ‘gold bars’ given to climate groups
“The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to claw back around $20 billion in grant funding approved for climate projects under the Biden administration’s signature Inflation Reduction Act.
“EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced the move in a video shared on X on Wednesday evening, claiming the funds were “parked” at a financial institution under a ‘scheme’ to rush money to left-wing activist groups without oversight. The funding drew notice late last year when an EPA employee compared the funding to gold bars being thrown off the Titanic.
“‘EPA needs to reassume responsibility for all of these funds. We will review every penny that has gone out the door. I will be referring this matter to the inspector general’s office, and we’ll work with the Justice Department as well,’ Zeldin said in the video. ‘The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over.’”
Washington Post: Trump’s EPA chief vows to claw back $20 billion in climate funding
“The Environmental Protection Agency will try to claw back $20 billion that the Biden administration approved for climate projects, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a social media post Wednesday...
“In a video posted to X on Wednesday evening, Zeldin said the EPA would terminate its contract with the bank overseeing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a program established by former president Joe Biden’s signature 2022 climate law.
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“The U.S. DOGE Service, billionaire Elon Musk’s initiative to slash the size of the federal government, also commended Zeldin on X for an ‘awesome job’ on saving taxpayer money.”
Washington Times: EPA clawing back more than $20 billion in Biden's last-minute spending on climate justice
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said he’s working to retrieve billions of dollars the Biden administration frantically shoveled to green energy and climate justice projects in the months before President Trump took office.
“The money includes $20 billion that Biden officials deposited at Citibank, presumably to shield it from Trump administration officials…
“‘The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,’ Mr. Zeldin said.”