A federal judge on Monday announced that he would make the Trump administration return $176 million in funding to 13 nonprofit groups and six municipalities across the country. This decision, made by Judge Richard Gergel of the U.S. District Court in South Carolina, is a significant blow to the administration, which has been accused of firing employees, cutting off funds, and dismantling agencies, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center. The case was brought forward by the organization and the Public Rights Project on behalf of the affected groups, who received funding for climate and environmental projects through various federal programs.
Kym Meyer, the litigation director at the Southern Environmental Law Center and lead attorney on the case, expressed her excitement about the ruling, calling it a “huge victory.” She emphasized the importance of the decision in setting a precedent and highlighting the limits of executive power in relation to Congress. The judge’s ruling came after the Trump administration indicated on Friday that it would concede to the plaintiffs’ claims regarding 32 out of the 38 grants. Despite this concession, the administration’s attorneys hinted at plans to appeal based on jurisdictional concerns.
The affected grants were awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during the Biden administration. The plaintiffs argued that the executive orders issued by the Trump administration to freeze the grant funding were unlawful and violated their First Amendment rights. The case also added two more groups as plaintiffs, citing the negative impact of the funding freeze on their employees and programs supporting various communities. The litigation highlighted specific executive orders, such as “Unleashing American Energy,” aimed at redirecting funds from climate change and clean energy initiatives.
