The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has thrust its $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) into the spotlight, with Acting Deputy Administrator W.C. McIntosh formally requesting an Inspector General investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and oversight failures under the Biden administration.
In a March 2 letter to Acting Inspector General Sean Murley, McIntosh painted a damning picture of a program marred by “reckless” handling and “blatant” favoritism, signaling a Trump-era push to reclaim control of the climate cash.
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McIntosh’s letter accuses the prior administration of rushing billions out the door with “severe deficiencies” in oversight, spotlighting a viral video of a Biden EPA appointee boasting about “tossing gold bars off the Titanic” before Trump’s January 20 inauguration.
“These are not hypothetical concerns; they are supported by troubling evidence,” McIntosh wrote, citing a private bank managing $20 billion—an “unprecedented arrangement”—and only eight prime recipients, many acting as murky pass-throughs, doling out funds with scant accountability.
The allegations hit hard: former GGRF director Jahi Wise allegedly greenlit a $5 billion grant to his ex-employer, the Coalition for Green Capital, sans recusal; Power Forward Communities, tied to Stacey Abrams, nabbed $2 billion despite reporting just $100 in 2023 revenue; and Young, Gifted & Green scored $20 million while its CEO sat on a White House advisory council.
“Recipients lacked basic financial competency—yet were allowed to manage billions,” McIntosh charged, noting EPA required budget training post-award.
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The EPA’s response is swift: staff are on leave, internal controls are under review, and the agency is syncing with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, whose probes prompted Citibank to freeze disbursements.
McIntosh flagged “systemic failures”—hastily amended agreements sidelining EPA from subrecipient oversight and a misnamed “Notice of Exclusive Control” that let funds slip to private accounts. “The design … removed $20 billion from governmental oversight,” he wrote, slamming it as a pre-Trump cash grab.
With $27 billion originally allocated under Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to boost clean energy in underserved areas, the GGRF’s $20 billion chunk is now a battleground.
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Republicans cheer the crackdown—House Speaker Mike Johnson called it “long overdue”—while Democrats decry a politicized attack on climate goals.
McIntosh’s plea for OIG aid, backed by DOJ and FBI muscle, aims to “restore integrity” as Trump’s team eyes clawing back funds. The clock’s ticking: will the probe reshape climate policy, or just fuel the partisan fire?
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