Overview

• A presidential memorandum instructs the Justice Department to investigate whether federal grant money has been used illegally for lobbying and to consider enforcement steps.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi must deliver a report to the president within 180 days outlining findings and any recommended actions.
• The White House says the move enforces longstanding limits on using grant funds for lobbying or partisan activity and is intended to safeguard taxpayer dollars.
• Administration materials cite examples of grants with what it calls political overtones, including an NIH project and an NSF award focused on racial justice in elementary mathematics.
• The step follows an earlier August order requiring senior appointee review of new funding announcements and discretionary grants, which critics juxtapose with Trump’s rollback of stricter lobbyist rules in January.