Two House Democrats have escalated the battle over the Trump administration's cancellation of nearly $8 billion in climate-related grants, formally referring Energy Secretary Chris Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution. In a letter released Wednesday, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) allege Wright lied to Congress when he testified that the canceled grants were not selected because they disproportionately benefited Democratic states.
The referral, which does not compel the DOJ to act, marks a significant escalation in a dispute that has simmered since the administration axed the funding last year. The lawmakers cite 18 USC §1001, which makes it a crime to make materially false statements to Congress, and argue that Wright's testimony was a deliberate attempt to obscure the true motivation behind the terminations.
"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," Lofgren and Amo wrote to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. They added that Wright's actions "violated 18 USC §1001" and left them "no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution."
The controversy centers on the administration's October decision to cancel billions in grants, which were touted by White House budget chief Russell Vought as "Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left's climate agenda." Vought announced that the cuts would affect projects in 15 states, all of which were won by Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. At the time, Wright suggested some funding would also be cut in red states, but those cancellations never materialized.
Wright has repeatedly defended the decisions, dismissing accusations of partisanship as "bullshit." However, recent court filings have undercut his claims. An Energy Department lawyer stated that the inclusion of grants in the October cancellation tranche "was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient's state," and not on "any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor."
In their referral, the Democrats highlighted this admission, contrasting it with Wright's testimony. "Secretary Wright was very clear in his testimony. No decisions were based on politics. The award termination decisions should not have been based in any way on how a state voted in the 2024 presidential election, and they weren't. In the Secretary's own words, it was bullshit to suggest otherwise. Secretary Wright lied," they wrote.
The Energy Department has not commented on the referral, but previously defended Wright's testimony. Spokesperson Ben Dietderich said last month that "none of the termination decisions were based on political considerations."
The referral is unlikely to lead to prosecution, given that the Trump administration would be loath to move against a Cabinet member. But it underscores the growing tensions between Democrats and the administration over the use of executive power and the treatment of climate policy. It also comes as Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche faces scrutiny from Senate Democrats, who have raised concerns about his independence from the White House.
The move is part of a broader Democratic strategy to hold Trump officials accountable for what they see as politicized decision-making. As Democrats intensify their opposition to the administration, this referral could become a rallying point for voters concerned about the integrity of federal programs.
