At least $20 billion was funneled by the Biden administration to environmental groups. Most had only been founded months earlier.
One such group, called Climate United Fund, based in Bethesda, Maryland, which does neither appears in the IRS’s charities database nor has any federal filings, was given a check for almost $7 billion by then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The fund was only incorporated in Delaware in November 2023 and the check was given in April 2024.
The group then announced “the historic investment” in a press statement and said that it “delivers benefits like cleaner air…and increased energy security” through its work. But since the company is so new, no public accounting information exists on how the money will be spent.
There were projects, including a $10.8 million “pre-development loan” solar project on Tribal lands in eastern Oregon and Idaho and a $32m solar energy project at the University of Arkansas, announced, however that is a tiny amount in comparison to the rest of the grant.
“Ethically speaking, it’s concerning. What was the purpose of creating middlemen entities when there are so many established groups in the climate space with good track records? What was the value-added in [by] doing it this way, especially with such large sums of taxpayer funds?” said Laurie Styron, CEO of the independent charity watchdog group Charity Watch.
John Podesta, a political consultant who was chair of Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 bid for president and White House chief of staff to Bill Clinton, oversaw the $370 billion climate slush fund, where the cash for the charity came from.
Kickbacks, wheel greasing and “consultants” are expensive.