Posted March 09, 2020 07:51:33President Donald Trump’s White House has been peddling a fake story that the Ohio plant in question will be built by a Chinese company for $500 million.
The White House press office said Thursday that the Trump administration has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s state-run CNOOC for the construction of a factory in the Ohio city of Cuyahoga Falls.
It did not say how much the agreement is worth or when it will be completed.
“The President is excited to announce that CNOIC is in discussions with the U.S. Government to secure a $500M grant for the building of the plant in Cuy.
This investment is in the best interest of the United States and CNOOT.
CNOOM has agreed to waive its existing obligation to contribute to the construction costs of the facility,” the White House said in a statement.
The announcement comes just days after the Trump White House and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit to block the planned expansion of a coal-fired plant in the state.
The plant will employ more than 1,000 workers and will create 100 jobs, according to the Ohio Economic Development Corp. and Ohio’s Public Service Commission.
The Trump administration’s suit alleges that the plant will be “a major job creator” and a source of “significant economic impact.”
Trump has not commented on the Trump’s lawsuit and he did not immediately respond to a request for comment from VICE News.
The proposed $500m deal was part of a deal announced in July that would have sent about $200 million in federal loans to the state to help finance the project.
The Trump administration also announced it would provide $500,000 in federal grants to help cover environmental permits, as well as $100,000 for environmental cleanup costs, according a statement from Ohio’s PSC.
The Ohio Economic Partnership, which is the state agency responsible for the project, is seeking $200,000 from the federal government, according the statement.
