President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum Thursday afternoon ordering an investigation into whether federal grant funding was being used to lobby the government.
United States law prohibits any funds distributed through federal grants from being diverted to lobby government employees or lawmakers, but Trump wrote Thursday that “funding reviews by my Administration have revealed that taxpayer funds are being spent on grants with highly political overtones.”
“In addition to being a wasteful, abusive, and potentially fraudulent use of the American people’s money, the possible use of Federal grants as slush funds for political and legislative advocacy raises serious legal concerns,” Trump continued. “Federal law places strict limitations on the use of Federal grant funds, and in many instances prohibits grantees from lobbying with appropriated funds or supporting political candidates or parties with grant funds.”
The memo, titled “Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees,” directed Attorney General Pam Bondi, “in consultation with the heads of executive departments and agencies, to investigate whether Federal grant funds are being used to illegally support lobbying activities.”
Trump gave Bondi 180 days to deliver a report on the investigation and any recommendations for “appropriate enforcement action.”
Trump signed a related executive order earlier this month aimed at “improving” oversight of all federal grant programs.
“Each agency head shall promptly designate a senior appointee who shall be responsible for creating a process to review new funding opportunity announcements and to review discretionary grants to ensure that they are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest,” reads the text of that earlier order. “For the avoidance of doubt, this process shall not guarantee any particular level of review or consideration to funding applicants except as consistent with applicable law.”
HUD THREATENS FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES SHIELDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Critics note that the president signed a separate executive order shortly after reentering office in January that rolled back beefed-up regulations on lobbyists that had been put in place by former President Joe Biden.
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