Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin likened a Biden-era green energy “scheme” that saw $2 billion in funds sent to a Stacey Abrams-linked climate group to “throwing gold bars off the Titanic” in a Sunday appearance on the Fox News Channel.
“This group in 2023 only received $100. This isn’t even like it’s a longtime group that has some reputation of handling large budgets. They received $2 billion in 2024,” Zeldin told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo.
“On page one of the grant agreement, it tells them that they have 21 days to distribute all $2 billion. On page seven of the grant agreement, it gives them 90 days to complete a training called ‘How to Develop a Budget.’ I would say that any entity that needs training on how to develop a budget shouldn’t be actually distributing money before they take that training, and they certainly shouldn’t be receiving $2 billion to be distributed that rapidly,” he continued.
BIDEN SENT $2 BILLION TO STACEY ABRAMS-LINKED GROUP IN GREEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME,’ EPA SAYS
Then-Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) attends a press conference on the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The EPA recently revealed that the Biden administration allowed just eight entities to distribute $20 billion of taxpayer dollars “at their discretion.”
A $2 billion grant to Power Forward Communities, a climate-focused nonprofit with ties to former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, was included in the funds.
When previously reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the nonprofit didn’t respond.
Zeldin said of uncovering the funds that “self-dealing [and] a lot of conflicts of interest” overshadowed the willingness to spend government funds wisely, maintain accountability and have oversight.
Stacey Abrams, former Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, speaks during an election night rally in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“They were throwing gold bars off the Titanic. We found the gold bars. We want them back,” he said.
Zeldin told Bartiromo the Justice Department has been working with Citibank to claw back funding, adding that multiple agencies are working to ensure funding is not wasted.
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Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
