Former Georgia House Representative Stacey Abrams is facing intense scrutiny after disclosing that her organization, Power Forward Communities, received a $2 billion taxpayer-funded grant from the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The funding, earmarked for “green” home appliance upgrades, has ignited accusations of a Democratic vote-buying scheme, drawing sharp criticism from Trump allies and transparency advocates.
Announced as part of a $20 billion EPA disbursement under President Joe Biden, the grant has been slammed by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as part of a “gold bar” scheme funneled to left-wing groups.
In a mid-February X post, Zeldin highlighted the disparity, writing, “Stacey Abrams’ Power Forward Communities received $2 BILLION to be a pass-through entity for Biden EPA’s $20 billion ‘gold bar’ scheme.
They reported just $100 in total revenue after their founding in late 2023.” The figure, he noted, is “20 million times the organization’s reported revenue,” raising questions about its capacity to manage such a windfall.
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Abrams, a prominent Democrat and two-time Georgia gubernatorial candidate, defended the grant in an early March MSNBC interview with Chris Hayes. She framed it as a nationwide expansion of her South Georgia initiative, Revitalizing Desoto, which she led in 2023 and 2024 to replace outdated appliances with energy-efficient models.
“Based on the success of this endeavor, a coalition of organizations came together to let us invest the money of America to lower the cost of Americans,” Abrams said, insisting the funds aim to cut energy bills for households.
Critics, however, see a darker motive.
Steve Milloy, a former Trump EPA transition team member, likened the grant to past Democratic handouts, posting on X: “The EPA-Stacey Abrams grift revealed: @staceyabrams just told MSNBC’s @chrislhayes that the Biden EPA gave her $2 billion to buy people new home appliances to reduce electric bills. So Democrats upgraded vote buying from Obama phones to Biden refrigerators.”
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The broader $20 billion EPA program, touted as a climate investment, has fueled debate over its transparency.
Power Forward Communities, formed in late 2023 with scant financial history, secured one of the largest grants, prompting skepticism about the selection process.
Neither the Biden administration nor the EPA has addressed calls for clarity on how recipients were chosen or how the funds will be monitored.
As the Trump administration digs into Biden-era spending, the Abrams grant stands out as a flashpoint.
With Power Forward Communities’ minimal track record, the controversy underscores lingering questions: Is this a legitimate green initiative—or a taxpayer-funded favor to politically connected allies?
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