As fall-out continues in the wake of the bankruptcy of a green-energy firm closely tied to the Obama White House, the Washington Post reports today that new e-mails – released in advance of an upcoming Congressional hearing – show that the administration pushed Solyndra to delay layoff notices until after last year’s midterm elections. From the story:
“The Obama administration urged officers of the struggling solar company Solyndra to postpone announcing planned layoffs until after the November 2010 midterm elections, newly released e-mails show…
“Solyndra’s chief executive warned the Energy Department on Oct. 25, 2010, that he intended to announce worker layoffs Oct. 28. He said he was spurred by numerous calls from reporters and potential investors about rumors the firm was in financial trouble and was planning to lay off workers and close one of its two plants.
“But in an Oct. 30, 2010, e-mail, advisers to Solyndra’s primary investor, Argonaut Equity, explain that the Energy Department had strongly urged the company to put off the layoff announcement until Nov. 3. The midterm elections were held Nov. 2, and led to Republicans taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“’DOE continues to be cooperative and have indicated that they will fund the November draw on our loan (app. $40 million) but have not committed to December yet,’ a Solyndra investor adviser wrote Oct. 30. ‘They did push very hard for us to hold our announcement of the consolidation to employees and vendors to Nov. 3rd – oddly they didn’t give a reason for that date…’
“On Nov. 3, 2010, Solyndra announced it would lay off 40 workers and 150 contractors and shut down its Fab 1 factory.”
Republicans continue to probe into the White House’s relationship with the now-bankrupt solar energy firm that received nearly a half billion dollars in taxpayer funds made available through President Obama’s “stimulus.” During an interview with Newsmax last week, Speaker Boehner cautioned the White House not to drag its feet in disclosing the nature of its dealings with the company, vowing Congress would be “relentless” in its pursuit of the truth.
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