Attorney General Hanaway Joins Coalition Challenging Biden-era EPA Misconduct

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway joined a coalition of 24 state attorneys general in challenging potential Biden-era grant fraud and supporting the EPA’s cancellation of billions of questionable grants. Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency handed out $20 billion in grants as part of its “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund,” a program that had little to no oversight and awarded political allies huge sums of money.

“I’m proud to stand with other attorneys general to fight back against potential Biden-era fraud and violations of ethical standards. We will continue to step in to protect Missourians against unconstitutional government overreach,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Our Office supports the EPA’s move to cancel these grants, reinforcing accountability and integrity in federal spending.”

The Trump administration’s EPA tried to cancel the grants due to new oversight findings, but was blocked by a district court. The coalition of 24 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting the Trump administration’s move.

The states argue that the EPA has both the right and the duty to cancel these grants after mismanagement was discovered. However, the program’s structure limits the EPA’s ability to oversee or terminate grants. The states propose this structure was intentionally designed to evade oversight and accountability.

Grants should be awarded competitively, and these grants allegedly went to political allies. One EPA official awarded grant funding to his former employer. Another recipient had only $100 in assets the year before being awarded $2 billion.

The states write in the brief, “When federal grant programs operate without meaningful oversight—as the House Oversight Committee found the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund did—States bear the consequences of projects that may be poorly conceived, executed, or managed. Taxpayers in amici States deserve to know that federal climate spending is subject to proper oversight and accountability, not rushed out the door as ‘gold bars off the Titanic.’”

The states are asking the en banc United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to vacate the district court’s preliminary injunction order. A panel of the D.C. Circuit earlier sided with the Trump administration and vacated the order.

In addition to Missouri, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming joined on the brief led by West Virginia.

Read the brief here.