Trump administration illegally withheld EV charger funds from Washington, judge rules

Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times on Jan 26, 2026

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SEATTLE — A federal judge in Seattle ruled Friday the Trump administration violated federal law when it withheld congressionally approved funds for electric vehicle chargers.

U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in June granted a preliminary injunction ordering the administration to restore the funding in response to a lawsuit brought by Washington and other states. Lin’s latest ruling delivers a final blow, barring the U.S. Department of Transportation from future interference with the funding.

Congress provided $5 billion to build electric car chargers across the country as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. The Washington state Department of Transportation had been awarded $71.2 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.

In early February, the Trump administration sent letters to states notifying them that it was canceling already approved plans and withholding funds.

At the time, Washington state had already accepted applications to build charging infrastructure along Interstate 90, Highway 97, Highway 22, Highway 195 and Highway 395. The state didn’t move forward because of the funding uncertainty.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration “yanked the NEVI Formula Program’s cord out of the outlet, calling for an instantaneous and sudden cessation of the program,” Lin wrote, causing work by states to be scrapped, duplicated, or reconceived.

“Such capriciousness runs counter to the Administrative Procedure Act; it is simply not how things are lawfully done,” Lin wrote.

Washington has vehicle standards that require an increasing percentage of the vehicles sold in the state to have zero emissions. State law mandates all new passenger vehicles sold by 2035 have to be plug-in hybrid or fully electric, and Washington drivers have been fast to adopt these vehicles.

“Judge Lin's order is a resounding win for the rule of law and for smart investment in our clean energy future,” Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Attorney General Nick Brown, said in an email.

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(Material from The Seattle Times archive was included in this report.)

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