Attorney General Merrick Garland is in the crosshairs of Congress as Republicans on Capitol Hill step up an investigation into the Justice Department's alleged cover-up of a solar energy scandal centered on a Nevada-based power plant called Crescent Dunes. I noticed that it was happening.
“I express concern regarding the recent motion filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 6, 2024 to intervene and dismiss the False Claims Act (qui tam) lawsuit brought by CMB Export, LLC. Tonopah Solar Energy and its affiliates,” U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) wrote in a letter to Garland on Tuesday. I mentioned it inside. “This action raises serious questions about the decision-making process and rationale behind the Department of Justice’s intervention, especially given the timeline and lack of clear justification for dismissing this case.”
Gooden's investigation, the second lawmaker to weigh in on the burgeoning scandal, was obtained exclusively by Breitbart News ahead of its publication. Rep. Carol Miller (R-West Virginia) has already considered the issue in previous reports and investigations, and this represents increased Congressional attention to the case.
This follows an exclusive Breitbart News investigation published in late November, shortly after President-elect Donald Trump (former US President) defeated Democratic candidate Vice, making the biggest political reversal in human history. This has become clear. Following President Kamala Harris' victory in the Nov. 5 election, the Justice Department a day later withdraws support for a private-fund lawsuit aimed at recovering hundreds of millions in allegedly fraudulently obtained taxes. It showed movement. Crescent Dunes Solar Power Project.
As Breitbart News reported at the time, the email, sent on election night Nov. 5, an hour before voting closed in the first state, indicated that the Justice Department had reversed course on the issue. It indicated that it was withdrawing its support for the Qui Tam lawsuit filed earlier. Lights up in green. And the next day, in court, the Garland Justice Department formally filed a motion to withdraw its support for a lawsuit filed by an EB-5 visa company that claims it was defrauded of tens of millions of dollars as part of a massive Crescent Dunes profiteering scheme. did.
A Qui Tam lawsuit is when a private entity seeks to fund a lawsuit on behalf of taxpayers to recover alleged fraud; there is no cost to the taxpayer to file the lawsuit, but the Justice Department must approve the lawsuit to proceed. It is necessary to give a signal. After years of dragging its feet on the issue, the Biden Justice Department finally did it in mid-2023, and by early 2024 the case was moving forward, culminating in this shocking reversal on election night.
The incoming Trump administration has made it clear that the president-elect will place great emphasis on energy policy, particularly on stopping the left's shady left-wing exploitation of so-called “renewable” energy, such as wind and solar energy. This goes against the policies of the outgoing president, Democrat Joe Biden, whose administration has embraced the Barack Obama-era policy of using federal land to advance green energy projects like Crescent Dunes. We expanded our efforts.
Crescent Dunes, which dates back to its Obama-era origins, is said to use many mirrors in the desert to reflect sunlight and heat molten salt in giant towers. The problem with this power plant is that although it went bankrupt and then finally opened under new ownership, it is still producing only a fraction of the energy originally promised, and its technology is In particular, it was discovered that there were defects. In addition to concerns for wildlife, with birds catching fire from sunlight reflecting off of them while in flight, there have also been reports of workers being hospitalized after being exposed to toxic gases emitted by the tanks.
In his letter, Gooden said he believes this is a much bigger project than just the Crescent Dunes project, and one that has the potential to impact all green energy-focused items on the left. He made it clear to Mr. Garland that he was
“The allegations in this case represent not only potential financial fraud, but also a violation of public trust,” Gooden wrote. “The Crescent Dunes project, like other failed 'green energy' initiatives, has already cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and the dismissal of this case is an important step in protecting public funds and prosecuting fraud.” This raises serious concerns about the department's efforts.”
At issue in the lawsuit are hundreds of millions of dollars in Treasury subsidies issued to Crescent Dunes in the final years of the Obama administration, and what the Quitum plaintiffs allege. The question is whether the money was fraudulent.
“As you know, this Quitum lawsuit alleges significant fraud involving approximately $275 million in cash grants from the Treasury Department under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Gooden told Garland. stated in a letter to. “Despite spending three and a half years investigating this case, the Justice Department reversed its position shortly after the presidential election, claiming that the firing was in the public interest and citing an undue burden on federal agencies.” This decision is troubling, given that the government stands to lose nothing by allowing CMB Export, LLC to proceed with its lawsuit.
Gooden asks Garland six pressing questions about the case.
- Did the department determine that it was “in the public interest” to dismiss the case based on the specific facts and circumstances?
- Given the significant losses to taxpayers alleged in this case, how does the department argue that discovery and litigation obligations would impose an “undue burden” on the Treasury Department, Energy Department, and Justice Department? How do you justify it?
- Given that the Department of Energy (DOE) played a role in approving and facilitating the transactions under investigation, what safeguards are in place to ensure that there is no undue influence or conflict of interest in the DOJ's decision-making process? Was it taught?
- Why did the Department of Justice wait until November 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election, to file a motion to dismiss after previously allowing the case to proceed in August 2023? Is it?
- Was the timing of this motion influenced by political considerations, particularly the transition to a new government?
- How does the Department of Justice reconcile its decision to dismiss lawsuits seeking to recover taxpayer funds with its responsibility to uphold accountability and transparency in cases of fraud allegations against the government?
Mr. Gooden also asked Mr. Garland to provide immediate access to all government documents related to this matter and advised the outgoing attorney general to preserve all records regarding this matter.
“To ensure transparency and accountability in this case, we demand immediate access to all records and communications regarding the Crescent Dunes project and its subsequent rejection,” Gooden wrote. “Preserve all information related to this process, including all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that corresponds to or responds to any Congressional inquiry, request, or investigation.'' The purpose of this request may be , “preservation” means preserving all related documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, by taking reasonable steps to prevent partial or complete destruction, modification, testing, or deletion. means ensuring and maintaining the integrity of information. , shredding, incineration, erasure, transfer, migration, theft, mutation, or negligent or reckless handling that may cause the information to become incomplete or inaccessible. This includes preserving any compilation of documents already collected upon request, even though copies of individual documents may still exist elsewhere. ”
12.17.24 – Crescent Dunes Letter AG Garland by Breitbart News On Scribd
