EPA administrator Zeldin demands return of $20B in taxpayer money wasted by Biden administration

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday that his team has located $20 billion in tax dollars that the Biden administration purposely wasted.

“An extremely disturbing video circulated two months ago, featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about how they were ‘tossing gold bars off the Titanic,’ rushing to get billions of your tax dollars out the door before Inauguration Day,” Zeldin said in a video posted to X, citing another video from December. “The ‘gold bars’ were tax dollars and ‘tossing them off the Titanic’ meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it.”

Zeldin said the EPA has plans to recover the “gold bars” that were found “parked at an outside financial institution,” which he does not mention by name.

He said that “this scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history, and it was purposefully designed to obligate all the money in a rush job with reduced oversight” before Inauguration Day.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Zeldin said “there is zero reason to suspect any wrongdoing by the bank,” but he thinks agreement with the institution “needs to be instantly terminated” and all the money should be immediately returned.

He also said the EPA needs to reassume responsibility for all of these funds, adding that his team will “review every penny that has gone out the door.”

THROUGH THE EPA, WE CAN PURSUE ENERGY DOMINANCE, LEE ZELDIN SAYS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. arrives at EPA confirmation hearing. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“The days of irresponsibly shoveling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” Zeldin said. “The American public deserves a more transparent and accountable government than what transpired these past four years.”

He also said that he would be referring this matter to the inspector general’s office and that he would work with the Department of Justice to assist President Donald Trump in regaining control.

FILE – U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, participates in a debate against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy, on Oct. 25, 2022, at Pace University in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File)

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“Now we will get them back inside of control of government as we pursue next steps. As President Trump has vowed, we’re going to usher in a new Golden Age of American success for the citizens of every race, religion, color and creed,” Zeldin said at the end of the video.

Elon Musk also commended Zeldin on X for an “awesome job” saving taxpayer money.