Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 12 other state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the termination of funding for energy and infrastructure programs established by Congress. The suit was submitted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and challenges actions taken by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), DOE Secretary Chris Wright, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and OMB Director Russell Vought.
“This unlawful attempt to block funding approved by Congress will seriously harm work being done in Illinois and across the nation to improve energy efficiency, strengthen energy resiliency and increase clean energy – all of which benefit the public,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general to fight back against the president’s illegal actions that harm our communities and our environment.”
According to Raoul, President Trump issued executive orders on his first day in office declaring a “national energy emergency” and ending what he called the “Green New Deal.” Following these directives, the DOE created a list of targeted awards valued at billions of dollars intended for elimination. These programs were authorized under laws such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) from 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) from 2022.
In May 2025, DOE introduced a policy requiring projects already awarded funding to undergo a new review process. Critics allege this review was used as justification for cutting programs. In late September 2025, amid concerns about a possible government shutdown, President Trump stated he could make irreversible changes during such an event, including reducing programs favored by Democrats. Shortly after, OMB Director Russell Vought announced via social media that nearly $8 billion in what he called “Green New Scam” funding would be cut from projects supporting climate initiatives. Six grants totaling over $20 million were withdrawn from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois-Chicago projects focused on improving grid reliability, lowering carbon emissions, and using domestic resources for critical minerals.
The coalition’s complaint argues that terminating these congressionally mandated programs violates both separation of powers principles and the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit asks the court to declare these actions unlawful and permanently prevent further interference with such programs.
The attorneys general joining Raoul include those from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office has advocated for vulnerable groups like workers and seniors (official website). It handles thousands of consumer complaints each year (official website), works to protect consumers while promoting safer communities (official website), extends advocacy efforts statewide (official website), partners with law enforcement to support crime victims (official website), and offers services related to consumer fraud or civil rights issues (official website).
