Democratic lawmakers have urged the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, accusing him of making false statements to Congress regarding the cancellation of $7.6 billion in clean energy grants awarded to projects in states that voted for the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San José) and Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) contend that Wright’s testimony before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on June 10 was misleading when he denied that the Energy Department’s decision to terminate nearly 300 grants was influenced by political considerations.

The grants, which included funding for initiatives such as battery plants, electrical grid upgrades, carbon capture projects, and a $1.2 billion award for California’s ARCHES hydrogen hub, were part of a group of more than 2,300 projects initially reviewed by the department. All 16 states affected, including California, had voted against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The lawmakers’ accusations stem in part from Energy Department court filings associated with a lawsuit brought by researchers and faculty from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, who lost their grants. In these documents, filed on July 15, department attorneys acknowledged the cuts were “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” a position that directly contradicts Wright’s statements to Congress.

Lofgren and Amo’s letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasizes that Wright’s sworn testimony was knowingly false, constituting a violation of federal law against making materially false statements to Congress. They called for an expedited and serious review of the matter, noting the gravity of referring a Cabinet Secretary for potential prosecution. The letter also pointed out that Wright testified over three weeks after the department conceded the politically motivated nature of the terminations in court.

The Energy Department has denied the allegations, maintaining that Wright’s testimony was accurate and that no termination decisions were based on political factors. Agency officials explained that the final selection of projects for termination was determined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which identified projects predominantly located in states that voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The department stated that the decisions considered neither programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, nor performance-based factors.

The controversy intensified after Russell Vought, then director of the OMB, publicized the funding cuts in an October 2023 social media post, describing the cancellation of nearly $8 billion in "Green New Scam" funding aimed at what he called the "Left’s climate agenda," listing several Democratic-leaning states. Following that announcement, Wright repeatedly defended the decisions as fact-based during interviews and congressional hearings, including appearances before the House Committees on Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, and the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The lawsuit resolved in part through formal stipulations allowed the Energy Department to avoid depositions, with officials stating the admissions in court filings were intended to expedite litigation rather than acknowledge wrongdoing. Representatives for the House Science Committee Republicans and the Justice Department did not comment on the allegations.

Democrats warn that the funding cuts could impede the advancement of clean energy technologies and the broader climate agenda. Amo emphasized the need for an investment approach driven by technology and environmental efficacy rather than political affiliation. Meanwhile, Lofgren expressed skepticism that the Justice Department, led by a Trump appointee, would pursue charges but affirmed the importance of continuing to seek accountability.