Denise Cheung resigns after Trump appointees demand she open grand jury investigation into EPA grants<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A top federal prosecutor has quit after refusing to launch what she called a politically driven investigation into Biden-era climate spending, exposing deepening rifts in the US\u2019s premier law enforcement agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denise Cheung, head of criminal prosecutions in Washington, resigned on Tuesday after Trump appointees demanded she open a grand jury investigation into Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants based largely on an undercover video, multiple people familiar with the matter told CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The directive came from the acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove through Ed Martin, Trump\u2019s nominee for Washington DC<\/a> US attorney. Officials wanted Cheung to investigate EPA contracts awarded during Biden\u2019s tenure and freeze related funding, CNN reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her resignation letter, Cheung wrote to Martin that she and other prosecutors had determined there was insufficient evidence to warrant grand jury subpoenas, even if senior officials cited the Project Veritas video as justification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I explained that the quantum of evidence did not support that action, you stated that you believed that there was sufficient evidence,\u201d Cheung wrote to Martin. \u201cYou also accused me about wasting five hours of the day \u2018doing nothing\u2019 except trying to get what the FBI and I wanted, but not what you wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dispute stems from the EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin\u2019s claim last week<\/a> about $20bn in climate law funding being held in a Citibank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The resignation adds to broader upheaval within the justice department, where prosecutors considered unaligned with current leadership have faced termination, particularly those involved in January 6 investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n