Energy Department admits grants canceled based on state politics

A court filing reveals the Energy Department acknowledged that about 284 federal research grants were canceled solely because the recipient state voted for the Democratic candidate in 2024 (blue states with two Democratic senators), with 340 other grants proposed for termination but not canceled. The DOE said the tranche was selected for political reasons rather than programmatic factors, while officials later disputed that the terminations were politically motivated. The episode unfolds amid White House and OMB moves to grant political appointees greater control over federal grants and their alignment with the president’s priorities.