The Office of Management and Budget, directed by Russell Vought, has ordered nearly all federal agencies to compile a detailed report of how much funding each one provides to a list of blue states, according to documents reviewed by CBS News.
The Jan. 20 memo said the request for the spending data will be used to “better understand the scope of funding in certain states and localities in order to facilitate efforts to reduce the improper and fraudulent use of those funds through administrative means or legislative proposals to Congress.”
It also says, “This is a data-gathering exercise only. It does not involve withholding funds, and therefore does not violate any court order.”
A spokesperson for OMB confirmed to CBS News that the memo was sent out.
The order was submitted to all federal agencies, except the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The reports being sought must contain details about all federal funding to states and localities, universities, and nonprofit organizations operating within those states.
The government is seeking federal spending data from a list of states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington — all led by Democrats.
CBS News could not immediately determine why the federal spending data is being sought.
The Trump administration has been trying to cut off federal funding to a variety of states and localities, resulting in dozens of lawsuits by states and nonprofits that have had their funding revoked.
The funds at issue are appropriated by Congress.
The deadline for agencies to send the data is Jan. 28.
