Trump team digs in, finds millions of wasted dollars at EPA, HUD with DOGE help
The new administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, recently made headlines by canceling a $50 million environmental justice grant to an organization known as the Climate Justice Alliance. This organization has been vocal about their belief that “climate justice runs through a free Palestine.” Zeldin, who was sworn in as the EPA administrator at the end of January, expressed concerns about taxpayer money going to a left-wing advocacy group with controversial views.
In a recent interview on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” Zeldin discussed his decision to cancel the grant, stating, “I think that the American taxpayer wouldn’t want $50 million going to this left-wing advocacy group. It’s canceled.” He also mentioned that Congress had opposed the grant, further justifying his decision.
Additionally, Zeldin revealed that his team at the EPA had uncovered significant financial mismanagement under the Biden administration. He mentioned a case where $160 million was sent to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer in a lump sum, leading to the company declaring bankruptcy without fulfilling its obligations to provide school buses to 55 school districts. Zeldin emphasized the need to prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted in this manner.
Furthermore, Zeldin disclosed that his team had identified $20 billion in taxpayer funds that were intentionally wasted by the Biden administration. He referred to a video featuring a Biden EPA political appointee discussing the rush to spend billions of tax dollars before President Trump took office, likening it to “tossing gold bars off the Titanic.” Zeldin vowed to recover these wasted funds, which were found parked at an outside financial institution.
As the EPA continues to uncover instances of financial mismanagement, President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is also working to identify and eliminate waste across various government agencies. Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced the creation of the DOGE Task Force at HUD, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.
Overall, Zeldin’s actions as the new EPA administrator reflect a commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds and a determination to address financial mismanagement within the agency. With ongoing efforts to identify and rectify wasteful spending, the EPA and other government agencies are working towards greater efficiency and accountability in the use of public funds.
