Democrats grill EPA nominee over green bank controversy

Democrats grilled Sean Donahue, President Trump’s pick as top lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on the agency’s attempts to terminate already-issued climate grants during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked whether Donahue “had been a participant in meetings and discussions over trying to go after” the grant program.

Donahue said he had, but “mostly on the civil defense” side once grant recipients sued the EPA. 

Schiff also asked what the consequences should be for opening a criminal probe without evidence of a crime.

Donahe said he didn’t want to answer “hypotheticals.”

The Trump administration has been going after a handful of recipients who got billions of dollars in climate grants issued under the Biden administration. 

A judge recently halted the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back the grants, saying it did not provide evidence of wrongdoing. 

The Justice Department and FBI have been investigating the matter. A veteran Justice Department prosecutor resigned after she reportedly refused to freeze grantees’ bank accounts. 

During the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said the episode had “multiple red flags flying of prosecutorial misconduct.”

Democrats also sought to paint Donahue as unqualified during the hearing, in which lawmakers also considered the nominations of Jessica Kramer to lead the EPA’s office of water and Brian Nesvik to lead the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Whitehouse asked Donahue a series of questions, including whether he had taken a deposition, tried a case all the way until the verdict, argued a motion or authored and signed a legal pleading. 

He said he had not. 

Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Md.) brought up Donahue’s partner’s job in an office that helps the Trump administration nominate political appointees.