Washington (February 19, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today wrote to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz about revelations that Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Cheung was pressured to find evidence of a crime as a justification for freezing the release of billions of dollars in congressionally approved federal funds for the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which are part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, leverage private capital to cut energy bills for families and small businesses, improve resiliency against climate change-fueled disasters, and create local economic opportunity while combatting climate change. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also signed the letter.
In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The reports that Ms. Cheung was pressured to circumvent this standard suggest a deliberate attempt to weaponize the Justice Department for political purposes. Indeed, according to one report, ‘Cheung’s resignation came in connection with a Justice Department effort to assist President Donald Trump’s new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who said last week that he would try to rescind $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean energy projects.’”
The lawmakers continue, “Federal prosecutors have an obligation to comply with the legal ethics rules governing their conduct, including their duty to refuse illegal or unethical orders from superiors. Not even a month into the second Trump administration, several career prosecutors have already resigned rather than participate in legally and ethically questionable actions, igniting a crisis within the Justice Department. The Department must not become an instrument of political retribution or partisan maneuvering.”
The lawmakers urge the Office of the Inspector General, “to immediately open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Cheung’s resignation, the directives she received, and the broader pattern of political interference in prosecutorial decisions. The integrity of our justice system depends on the independence of prosecutors and their ability to enforce the law free from political influence. If substantiated, these allegations represent an existential threat to the rule of law and demand swift corrective action.”
Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27-billion national climate financing network based on the National Climate Bank Act, which he introduced along with Senator Van Hollen. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) — the House lead on the climate financing legislation — welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023.
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