Department of Energy

Trump Demands 10% Equity Stake in Lithium Americas During $2.26B Federal Loan Renegotiation

| Importance: 8/10

The Trump administration demanded up to a 10 percent equity stake in Lithium Americas as it renegotiated terms of a $2.26 billion federal loan for the Thacker Pass mine project in Nevada—the western hemisphere’s largest planned lithium source. Two sources confirmed Trump officials sought to …

Donald Trump Lithium Americas Department of Energy General Motors conflicts-of-interest government-ownership corruption resource-extraction cronyism
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Senator Markey Alleges Energy Secretary Wright Using Position to Benefit Former Nuclear Firm Oklo

| Importance: 8/10

Senator Ed Markey sent a letter to Trump alleging that Energy Secretary Chris Wright—former Oklo Inc. board member—is using his position to benefit the nuclear technology company through DOE plans to provide plutonium and approve a $1.7 billion reprocessing plant. Markey warned the moves pose …

Chris Wright Oklo Inc. Ed Markey Department of Energy conflicts-of-interest institutional-capture regulatory-capture nuclear-industry cronyism
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EPA reconsiders 2009 Endangerment Finding underlying all climate regulations

| Importance: 7/10

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced formal reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding on July 29, calling repeal “largest deregulatory action in history of America.” Finding declared CO2 and 5 other GHGs endanger public health. Repeal would eliminate legal basis for all climate …

EPA Lee Zeldin Donald Trump Department of Energy climate environmental-rollback deregulation endangerment-finding
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Energy Secretary Wright owns $54 million in fracking company stock

| Importance: 7/10

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, founder of Liberty Energy, owns $54 million in company stock and received $1 million performance bonus from Liberty after taking office, while department reverses climate policies benefiting his former industry.

Chris Wright Liberty Energy Department of Energy conflict-of-interest energy-policy fracking regulatory-capture self-dealing
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WHIG Systematically Withholds Contradictory Intelligence from Congress

| Importance: 9/10

The White House Iraq Group implements a systematic campaign to withhold contradictory intelligence assessments from congressional committees, ensuring legislators vote for war based on incomplete and misleading information. WHIG coordinates with intelligence agencies to suppress dissenting analysis, …

White House Iraq Group Stephen Hadley Scooter Libby George Tenet Department of Energy +5 more whig intelligence-suppression congressional-deception information-control constitutional-violation +3 more
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