A $20 Billion Betrayal of Public Trust – Watts Up With That?

In a staggering revelation, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has uncovered a clandestine maneuver by the previous Biden administration, involving the allocation of approximately $20 billion in taxpayer funds to an external financial institution. This move appears to have been a deliberate attempt to circumvent potential budgetary constraints anticipated from the succeeding administration. The funds, earmarked for environmental projects under the Inflation Reduction Act, were distributed among eight entities, notably including the Climate United Fund.

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.” 

Administrator Zeldin has expressed profound concerns regarding the transparency and oversight of this allocation process. He is advocating for the immediate return of these funds to the EPA to ensure proper management and accountability. Zeldin has also indicated plans to refer this matter to the EPA’s inspector general and to collaborate with the Justice Department to uphold fiscal responsibility and public trust.

“Shockingly, roughly 20 billion of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA,” Zeldin said. “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.”

In December 2024, Project Veritas released an undercover interview with Brent Efron, a Special Advisor for Implementation at the EPA. Efron candidly described the agency’s frantic efforts to distribute funds before the transition of power, stating, “Now it’s how to get the money out as fast as possible before they [Trump Administration] come in … it’s like we’re on the Titanic and we’re throwing gold bars off the edge.”

Efron’s admission lays bare a troubling strategy: the EPA was funneling billions into nonprofits as a political buffer against incoming Republican oversight. He revealed that over the past year, the agency had disbursed $50 billion for climate initiatives, viewing these nonprofits as safer repositories for funds that might otherwise be retracted by a new administration. Efron even hinted at personal aspirations, noting that working for one of these well-funded organizations “would be really cool.”

It appears that X user Oilfield Rando was the one who identified this fund early one and was trying to call attention to it since at least January 30th.

This behavior is not just irresponsible; it’s a blatant betrayal of public trust. The EPA, an agency entrusted with safeguarding our environment, appears to have engaged in covert financial maneuvers to advance a specific political agenda, all while evading accountability. Such actions undermine the very foundation of our democratic system, where transparency and oversight are paramount.

The metaphor of “throwing gold bars off the Titanic” is particularly apt. It suggests a reckless desperation, a willingness to jettison valuable resources in a futile attempt to salvage a sinking agenda. But unlike the doomed passengers of the Titanic, the EPA had a choice. They chose to prioritize political expediency over fiscal responsibility, to the detriment of the American taxpayer.

Steve McIntyre has posted a thread on X detailing the intended recipients of this slush fund.

This scandal demands immediate action. The $20 billion must be returned to the EPA’s control, and a thorough investigation should be conducted to hold accountable those who orchestrated this scheme. Furthermore, this incident should serve as a clarion call for greater oversight of federal agencies, ensuring that they cannot operate as rogue entities pursuing their own agendas at the public’s expense.

The EPA’s actions represent a profound breach of public trust. It’s imperative that we address this misconduct head-on, not only to rectify the current situation but also to prevent such abuses in the future. The American people deserve a government that operates with integrity, transparency, and accountability—not one that throws their hard-earned “gold bars” into the abyss.

H/T joseph-zorzin, or-for

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