The Environmental Protection Agency’s $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GRF), passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, is now facing intense scrutiny after internal documents and whistleblower accounts revealed widespread concerns about mismanagement, inflated costs, and lack of oversight.

According to documents obtained by The Free Press, the $20 billion in taxpayer-funded grants was distributed in the final months of the Biden-Harris administration to just six organizations.

Reviewers from agencies including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of the Treasury, and the EPA raised numerous objections to the grant applications, many of which were reportedly ignored.

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Among the recipients was Power Forward Communities, a nonprofit reportedly linked to former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

The group received a $2 billion grant despite having only $100 in the bank when it applied. Internal reviews show concerns about top executive salaries and vague budget justifications.

REVEALED: Dem activist Stacey Abrams has worked mostly for the govt or nonprofits yet somehow the taxpayer-supported “public servant” has managed to buy not 1 but 2 homes inclg a 4100sf mansion worth $1.4 mil w/ a pool house + wine cellar in the tony Druid Hills area of Atlanta: pic.twitter.com/VCSGnABCuh

— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) May 10, 2025

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“For such an important section, it was pithy, though not always in a good way,” one reviewer wrote.

“Many of the costs were just presented, but little or no explanation as to why they are reasonable. I would have preferred they omitted the travel discussion and explained why they need to pay the CEO $800,000, growing to $948,000 in year 7. And chief operation officer $455,000 per year.”

Another nonprofit, Appalachian Community Capital, requested $1 billion.

The organization had previously never managed more than $4.5 million annually.

Despite internal reviewers flagging the dramatic increase in scale and questioning budget items—such as $358,000 per zero-emission vehicle and $150,000 per charging station—the group was granted $500 million.

Reviewers flagged these cost projections as excessive.

One wrote, “The amount of money managed under previous agreements was much less than what is being proposed under this grant opportunity.”

The grant selection process was largely based on written submissions and a 40-minute interview.

Applicants were assessed on a range of factors, including “equity and environmental justice” and “labor and equitable workforce,” according to program documents.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has committed to investigating the matter.

In a statement to The Free Press, he described the grant process as “riddled with self-dealing, conflicts of interest, unqualified recipients, and reduced oversight.”

Zeldin is attempting to recover the funds but faces legal hurdles due to the congressional authorization of the money and the EPA’s adherence to established guidelines during the Biden administration.

Efforts to halt disbursement hit a setback after a federal judge ordered Citibank to release frozen grant funds. Zeldin complied, though he stated that his office continues to review the legality of the grants and pursue recovery options where possible.

The controversy gained further traction after a Project Veritas video surfaced showing a former EPA employee comparing the grant rollout to “throwing gold bars off the Titanic.”

The employee stated the objective was to “get the money out as fast as possible” before President Trump returned to office.

Politico reported last month that internal EPA emails noted concern that the incoming Trump administration could face legal liability if the courts ruled against efforts to claw back the funds or stop distribution.

Litigation over the grants remains ongoing. While Zeldin’s legal options are limited, he has pledged to pursue any available avenues to address what he called one of the “largest and most reckless giveaways of taxpayer dollars in EPA history.”

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