I did not see this coming. According to a report from Politico,
“The Trump administration has directed nonprofits involved in a $20 billion Biden-era climate initiative to turn over records to the FBI and appear in federal court later this month, according to two people who were granted anonymity for fear of reprisal. The move marks an escalation in the administration’s effort to claw back the climate money following its assertions that the Environmental Protection Agency had sought to evade oversight by depositing the $20 billion in Citibank accounts in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s term…
At least two groups that had been awarded shares of the funding through EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund received letters this week from acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin in Washington, directing them to turn over the records to the FBI within two weeks, said the two people, who were familiar with the document demand. The letters asked the groups for their communications with EPA staff and transactions related to the program. The letters also asked the organizations to provide copies of their articles of incorporation and policies and procedures for managing the grants.”
The FBI is investigating organizations in the climate space. Wow. Who knows – maybe there really is fraud involved here, but this creates a bit of uneasiness. While this current action appears focused on nonprofits, it wouldn’t be a total shock to see companies get caught in the net. Federal policy criminalizing climate work was not a business risk I had ever thought about – and I bet I’m not alone.
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