Conservative watchdog Power The Future has asked Congress to investigate billions in DOE grants and loan guarantees approved in the final months of the Biden administration, saying an Inspector General warned of insufficient internal controls. The group's letter highlights a roughly $710 million Loan Programs Office award issued days before the presidential transition and flags the timing of a New Jersey allocation followed by Jennifer Granholm's advisory role to the state’s governor-elect. Power The Future links its request to a major Minnesota fraud probe and calls for a full accounting of late-term DOE awards.
Watchdog Urges Congress To Review Billions In Late-Term DOE Grants Amid Minnesota Fraud Probe
Minnesota fraud scandal sparks push to scrutinize billions in Biden-era energy grants
A conservative energy watchdog is urging Congress to investigate billions in Department of Energy (DOE) grants and loan guarantees approved during the final weeks of the Biden administration, arguing that internal warnings were ignored and taxpayer funds may have been exposed to waste or political influence.
Watchdog Letter To Congressional Oversight Chairs
Daniel Turner, founder and director of Power The Future, sent a letter to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the House Oversight Committee, requesting an immediate congressional review of late-term DOE grant and loan activity. Turner cites a Department of Energy Office of Inspector General (OIG) report and alleges that recommended safeguards were not followed.
"As allegations of widespread fraud among government programs in Minnesota rightly horrify the American taxpayer... I write to request immediate congressional oversight of the Department of Energy's unprecedented grant and loan activity conducted during the final weeks of the Biden Administration," Turner wrote.
Key Allegations And Context
Power The Future's letter points to a period when, it says, then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm approved what the group describes as "tens of billions" in clean-energy grants and loan guarantees — a level the letter contends exceeded many years of prior DOE activity. The watchdog highlights a Loan Programs Office (LPO) award of roughly $710 million tied to a 12-state affordable energy initiative that was approved four days before the presidential transition.
Then-Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm speaks during a daily news briefing at the White House on Jan. 23, 2023.
The letter also raises concerns about the timing of an allocation to New Jersey and notes that Granholm later accepted a senior advisory role to New Jersey governor-elect Mikie Sherrill on an energy affordability and reliability action team. Turner suggests the sequence of events warrants examination to determine whether decisions were influenced by political or personal factors.
Turner further points to the DOE OIG recommendation that a proposed $400 billion green bank be paused over conflict-of-interest concerns, saying that warning signs were ignored and funds were still distributed.
Department Response And Broader Political Context
The DOE previously disputed the OIG's findings in part, saying the Loan Programs Office complied with conflict-of-interest rules and the Federal Acquisition Regulation after a months-long audit of more than 100 contract files. The department maintained it found no organizational conflicts of interest in that review.
President Donald Trump during a primetime address to the nation from the White House, Dec. 17, 2025.
After President Trump returned to office, the new administration moved to halt and reassess several Biden-era climate and energy expenditures. Supporters of the earlier grants argue the spending advanced clean-energy goals established by legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act, while critics say the timing and scale merit scrutiny.
Link To Minnesota Fraud Investigation
Power The Future tied its request for DOE oversight to a sprawling fraud investigation in Minnesota that has focused attention on alleged misuse of federal funds. Investigators have estimated that fraud in Minnesota could exceed $1 billion and potentially reach as high as $9 billion; many arrested suspects are reported to be from the state's Somali community. Turner argues the Minnesota case underscores the risks of rapid, large-scale federal spending with limited review.
What Power The Future Wants
The group asks Congress to:
- Conduct a full accounting of DOE grants and loan guarantees approved in the final six months of the Biden administration;
- Review OIG findings that, according to the letter, were overridden or not fully acted upon;
- Examine potential political or financial ties between grant recipients and senior DOE officials;
- Ensure transparency and accountability for taxpayer funds.
Fox News Digital requested comment from Jennifer Granholm, Mikie Sherrill's transition team, and the White House; no immediate responses were received.
Note: The allegations described in this article are drawn from Power The Future's letter and public reports. They represent calls for investigation and oversight; they do not themselves constitute proof of wrongdoing. Relevant agencies and individuals have provided responses disputing some of the claims.
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