EPA chief uncovers $20 billion in taxpayer funds laundered to climate NGOs—$7B sent to ‘Climate United Fund,’ case referred to DOJ

Over the past decade, we’ve covered hundreds of climate startups working on technologies to fight climate change. Many of them struggle to secure funding, making recent revelations all the more concerning—while these startups battle for investment, the U.S. government has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a handful of climate NGOs with minimal transparency.

Climate Fraud: Billions Laundered to Climate NGOs

In a shocking video shared Wednesday, February 12, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldon reveals his office uncovered $20 billion in taxpayer funds allegedly mismanaged under the Biden administration. The discovery points to significant waste, with billions redirected to external organizations without clear accountability.

Zeldon, prioritizing financial accountability at the EPA, pointed to a two-month-old video featuring a Biden-era EPA political appointee. In it, the appointee likened the agency’s spending spree to “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” a metaphor for burning through billions before the presidential transition.

During his confirmation hearings, Zeldon committed to a full financial audit of the agency. Now in office, his team has traced these so-called “gold bars” and uncovered a troubling paper trail.

A $20 Billion Question

According to Zeldon, $20 billion was parked in an external financial institution—an unprecedented move for the agency. From that amount, $2 billion was distributed among just eight organizations, granting them broad discretion over taxpayer dollars. The most eye-catching allocation? Nearly $7 billion was directed to the Climate United Fund, with little transparency regarding how the money is being spent or who benefits.

Zeldon raised several pressing questions:

• How were these organizations deciding where the money went?
• How much of the funding has already been distributed, and to whom?
• Are former Biden-era EPA officials now working within these groups?

A quick online search confirms Climate United received a $6.97 billion grant from the National Clean Investment Fund. In an April 2024 press release, the organization stated:

“Today, Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced a $6.97 billion investment from the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) to Climate United, a national nonprofit focused on delivering the benefits of green technologies to communities across the country. The coalition, composed of Calvert Impact, the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), and Self-Help, was one of several entities competing to manage a portion of the NCIF, one of three programs under the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).”

From that statement, it’s clear that the funds were meant for green technology initiatives across the country, but details on how the money is being distributed remain scarce.

Calls for Immediate Action

Zeldon assured the public that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the financial institution holding the funds but emphasized the need to terminate the agreement and bring all remaining funds back under EPA control.

He also pledged a full review of every dollar spent, referring the case to the EPA’s Inspector General and the Department of Justice for further investigation.

Pushing for Accountability

Zeldon made it clear that the era of unaccountable funding to climate groups is over. He promised stricter financial oversight at the EPA, vowing that taxpayer money would be managed responsibly moving forward.

“The American public deserves a more accountable government than what transpired over the past four years,” Zeldon stated. “We take our legal obligations seriously. I’ve directed my team to track down these gold bars—and they found them. Now, we’re bringing them back under government control.”

What Comes Next?

As the investigation continues, legal consequences and policy shifts could be on the horizon. Expect further scrutiny on how taxpayer dollars are allocated and a renewed focus on financial oversight within government agencies.

Stay tuned as this story develops.