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FBI, EPA, and Treasury told Citibank to freeze funds as Trump administration tries to claw back climate money
The US government has taken unprecedented action by ordering a major financial institution, Citibank, to freeze millions of dollars in funding intended for climate change mitigation projects. The move is part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to retract previously allocated funds and redirect them towards other priorities.
According to court documents, the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Treasury Department have collectively demanded that Citibank place 30-day administrative freezes on accounts held by non-profit organizations and state government agencies. The affected entities are said to be recipients of funding from a $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund created under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Trump administration has been working diligently to reverse many environmental initiatives undertaken during the previous presidency, including measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting clean energy technologies. By freezing these funds, it appears that the government is attempting to claw back money earmarked for climate change mitigation projects.
Citibank’s role in this matter stems from its involvement as a financial agent responsible for managing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. As such, it has been instructed to hold up disbursements to the affected organizations and agencies until further notice.
Several nonprofits have already taken legal action against Citibank, alleging that the move is nothing short of an attempt by the government to sabotage their work on climate change mitigation. In a recent court hearing, Judge Tanya Chutkan expressed her skepticism regarding the allegations of fraud leveled by the EPA, stating that she requires credible evidence to substantiate such claims.
It remains unclear what the long-term implications of this development will be for these organizations and agencies, but it is evident that the Trump administration’s stance on climate change mitigation has once again been called into question.
