JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has called for an immediate investigation into a nearly $5 billion federal loan guarantee supporting the Grain Belt Express project, which he describes as "one of the most egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars in recent memory."
In a letter addressed to the Department of Government Efficiency, its chair, Elon Musk, and its acting administrator, Amy Gleason, Bailey urged the department to investigate and revoke the funding.
The Grain Belt Express project proposes the construction of massive transmission lines across Missouri farmland to transport wind-generated energy from Kansas to Missouri as well as other states. The initiative has faced significant opposition from Missouri farmers and landowners who argue that the use of eminent domain to seize private property for the project is unjust.
Bailey criticized the project's federal backing, asserting that it prioritizes corporate interests over Missouri citizens.
"This so-called renewable energy project is nothing more than a government-sponsored scam disguised as environmentalism," Bailey said in the letter. "Missouri farmers — the backbone of our state and nation — now face the devastating prospect of environmental grifters caving apart their lands for profit."
Bailey called the project nothing more than a government-sponsored land grab.
Bailey's letter alleges that the project was rushed through during the final days of the Biden Administration, taking advantage of what he described as the former president's "mental decline" and "chaotic" final months in office.
According to Bailey, the decision to approve the loan guarantee was made under the radar by "far-left deep staters" pursuing a radical green energy agenda.
"In the shadows of this confusion, far-left deep staters advanced a $4.9 billion green energy federal loan guarantee boondoggle to bankroll the Grain Belt Express (GBE)," Bailey wrote. "Missouri families should not be forced to pay the price for political agendas that strip them of their property rights."
The letter highlights that the Grain Belt Express project has already initiated nearly 40 eminent domain proceedings against Missouri landowners.
Bailey argues in the letter that these legal actions threaten to strip hardworking citizens of their property rights, often targeting farmland that families have owned for generations.
"We will not stand by while Missouri families are steamrolled by out-of-state interests and unelected bureaucrats pushing a radical green agenda," Bailey stated.
He called on DOGE to investigate and cancel the federal funding, urging the department to protect American property rights and taxpayer dollars.
The Grain Belt Express project, first proposed over a decade ago, aims to deliver renewable wind energy across four states: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Supporters argue that it will create jobs, provide clean energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
However, critics, including Bailey, maintain that the project is an overreach that disregards the rights of local landowners.
Bailey noted that his office is commitment to defending Missouri citizens from government overreach and ensuring federal funds are used in the best interests of the people, not private investors.
"Missouri farmers, taxpayers and the American people deserve better," he said.