· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Denise Cheung, a senior prosecutor in the DOJ’s Washington, DC, office, resigned after refusing to launch a grand jury investigation into Biden-era EPA climate funding
• The investigation was ordered by Trump-appointed DOJ officials, citing concerns over potential unlawful spending
• Cheung believed the evidence was insufficient and that freezing EPA funds lacked legal justification
🔭 The context: The Trump administration has been scrutinizing Biden’s environmental spending, with EPA head Lee Zeldin claiming to have "found" $20 billion in a Citibank account
• DOJ leadership wanted to halt the funding, citing a Project Veritas video as evidence of alleged misconduct
• Cheung’s resignation follows broader DOJ shake-ups, where prosecutors deemed "untrustworthy" by Trump’s team are being dismissed
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The probe into Biden-era climate funds could jeopardize environmental initiatives, delaying grants meant for clean energy and resilience projects
• If successful, such investigations could set a precedent for rolling back climate spending under the current administration
• Uncertainty over federal climate funding may deter investment in green initiatives
⏭️ What's next: The DOJ will likely continue investigating Biden’s environmental spending, potentially blocking further disbursements
• Cheung’s resignation signals growing tensions between career prosecutors and Trump’s political appointees, which could impact other DOJ cases
• The fate of the $20 billion in EPA funds remains uncertain as the agency works with the Treasury and DOJ on next steps
💬 One quote: "Refusing a basic request to pause an investigation so officials can examine the potential waste of government funds is not an act of heroism – just a failure to follow chain of command." — DOJ spokesperson
📈 One stat: The EPA’s $20 billion in question comes from Biden’s 2022 climate law and was meant to support non-profits distributing clean energy funds
Click for more news covering the latest on public governance
