Trump energy chief lied to Congress about canceled clean energy funds, lawmakers allege

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred Democratic lawmakers are asking the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against U.S.Energy Secretary Chris Wright, alleging that the nation’s top energy official made false statements to Congress about the termination of $7.6 billion in grants for clean energy projects in blue states, The Times has learned.Rep.

Zoe Lofgren (D-San José) and Rep.Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) say Wright testified falsely during a June 10 hearing before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology when he stated that the Energy Department did not target states for funding cuts based on their politics.

All 16 states that lost money, including California, did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election.Then in court documents recently unveiled as part of a California-based lawsuit, attorneys with the Energy Department accepted that the grant cuts announced in October were “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.” “Secretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation, ‘based solely’ on whether recipients were located in Blue States,” wrote Lofgren, ranking minority member on the House Science Committee, and Amo, ranking minority member on the Subcommittee on Environment, in a joint letter to acting Atty.Gen.

Todd Blanche dated Tuesday, obtained by The Times.“He lied to Congress.” In doing so, they say, Wright violated federal law, which bars individuals from making materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations to Congress.

They are requesting the Justice Department review the matter “expeditiously and with the utmost seriousness,” and bring criminal charges against Wright if warra...