Judge Blocks EPA From Clawing Back $20B in Questionable And Corrupt Grants

A federal judge has blocked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from canceling $14 billion in grants awarded to climate groups by the Biden administration, despite concerns about mismanagement and fraud. The decision halts the EPA’s effort to reclaim taxpayer funds that were allegedly mishandled.

Key Facts:

U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan ruled against the EPA’s attempt to terminate the grants, calling fraud allegations “vague and unsubstantiated.”
The $14 billion was part of a $20 billion “green bank” fund approved in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin had frozen the grants, citing mismanagement and potential fraud.
The grant recipients—Climate United, the Coalition for Green Capital, and Power Forward Communities—denied wrongdoing and sued the EPA.
The judge’s order prevents the EPA from reclaiming the funds but does not allow the groups to access the money yet.

The Rest of The Story:

The dispute centers around the Biden administration’s allocation of $20 billion in taxpayer-funded grants to climate groups under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

The EPA, led by Lee Zeldin, moved to freeze and terminate $14 billion of these grants, citing concerns over fraud, lack of oversight, and political favoritism.

The three organizations that received the funds—Climate United, the Coalition for Green Capital, and Power Forward Communities—sued the EPA, arguing that they were unlawfully denied access to the money.

The groups claim that the allegations of financial mismanagement are baseless and that the funding freeze threatens their ability to operate.

Judge Chutkan sided with the climate groups, preventing the EPA from revoking the grants.

However, she did not order Citibank, which holds the funds, to release the money to the organizations, effectively maintaining the status quo while the legal battle continues.

As I predicted, Judge Chutkan unbelievably halts for now EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin cancellation of Biden era climate grants totally $20 billion sheltered at Citibank a few days before the 2024 election.

She also halts transfer of remaining funds back to EPA as Zeldin ordered.… pic.twitter.com/dqDpsyFPQO

— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 19, 2025

Commentary:

This ruling is yet another example of activist judges protecting political allies at the expense of taxpayers.

Rather than allowing the EPA to investigate and halt potential fraud, Judge Chutkan dismissed serious concerns over how this massive sum of money is being handled.

The Biden administration’s “green bank” program was designed to push billions into politically connected environmental groups with minimal oversight, and now the courts are shielding these funds from scrutiny.

The ruling sets a dangerous precedent: taxpayer money can be funneled into private organizations with little to no accountability, and any attempt to investigate or reclaim it can be blocked by the courts.

Zeldin’s concerns are valid—billions of dollars were parked at an outside financial institution, deliberately avoiding government oversight.

🚨 #BREAKING: Leftist Judge Tanya Chutkan has BLOCKED EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin from terminating BILLIONS of dollars in climate grants

Zeldin had blocked nearly $20 BILLION in Green New Scam funding, and this judge is attempting to force taxpayers to pay it anyway.

DO NOT… pic.twitter.com/p6q06Z36Hi

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 19, 2025

His decision to freeze these funds was a necessary step to protect taxpayers, yet the judge prioritized political interests over financial responsibility.

Power Forward Communities, one of the recipients, has ties to Stacey Abrams—a well-known Democrat operative—which raises further red flags about how these funds were distributed.

This isn’t about clean energy; it’s about enriching left-wing nonprofits under the guise of environmental policy.

If there were truly no fraud or mismanagement, why fight transparency?

Judge Chutkan has shown time and again that she is more interested in protecting Democratic interests than upholding the law.

She has now blocked efforts to investigate possible fraud in a $14 billion program.

This isn’t just judicial overreach—it’s an outright abuse of power.

Congress should seriously consider impeachment proceedings to remove judges who repeatedly prioritize politics over justice.

The Bottom Line:

This ruling is a massive win for the Biden administration’s green agenda but a loss for taxpayers.

The EPA attempted to stop potential misuse of funds, but a federal judge intervened to protect politically connected climate groups.

If Congress does not step in to demand transparency and accountability, this case will set a dangerous precedent for future government spending.