Attorney General Merrick Garland was recently the subject of a Congressional inquiry from Republicans who have been investigating the Department of Justice’s coverup of a solar energy scandal surrounding a Nevada plant known as Crescent Dunes. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) recently wrote a letter to Garland voicing his concerns regarding his DOJ’s conduct in the matter.
“I am writing to express my concerns and seek clarification 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 filed by CMB Export, LLC, against Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, and its affiliates,” Gooden’s letter read. “This action raises significant questions about the decision-making process and rationale behind the DOJ’s intervention, particularly in light of the timeline and the lack of any clear justification for dismissing this case.”
Gooden further expressed concerns that the DOJ did not sufficiently investigate the incident. “The allegations in this case represent not just potential financial fraud but a breach of the public trust,” the letter continued. “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 raises serious concerns about the Department’s commitment to protecting public funds and prosecuting fraud.”
The Texas Republican continued in the inquiry to Galrand, “As you know, this qui tam lawsuit alleges serious fraud involving approximately $275 million in cash grants from the Department of Treasury under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” Furthermore, the representative questioned the grounds for the dismissal of the case.
Gooden noted, “Despite investing three and a half years in investigating this case, it is deeply troubling that the Department of Justice reversed its position shortly after the presidential election, claiming dismissal is in the public interest and citing undue burdens on federal agencies. This decision is perplexing, given that the government stands to lose nothing by allowing CMB Export, LLC, to proceed with the case.”
According to the letter, Garland is preserve all relevant information related to the case and present it to Congress upon request. “To ensure transparency and accountability are upheld in this case, I request immediate access to all records and communication in relation to the Crescent Dunes project and its subsequent dismissal,” Gooden wrote.
Indicating further investigation will occur, the letter stated, “Please preserve all information relating to this process, including all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that is or may be potentially responsive to a congressional inquiry, request, or investigation. For the purpose of this request, ‘preserve’ means securing and maintaining the integrity of all relevant documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, by taking reasonable steps to prevent the partial or full destruction, alteration, testing, deletion, shredding, incineration, wiping, relocation, migration, theft, mutation, or negligent or reckless handling that could render the information incomplete or inaccessible. This includes preserving all compilations of documents that have already been gathered in response to requests, even if copies of individual documents may still exist elsewhere.”
Watch Vivek Ramaswamy outline efforts to curb the government through D.O.G.E below:
Featured image credit: Tom Williams (CQ Roll Call), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merrick_Garland_August_2023_press_conference.jpg
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