CNN: ’White House Will Not Turn Over All Solyndra Documents’
“The White House will not comply with requests to turn over documents related to the bankrupt solar company Solyndra, which received a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government, CNN learned Friday.
“A government source provided a letter that White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler sent to House Energy and Commerce chair Rep. Fred Upton and subcommittee chair Rep. Cliff Stearns Friday afternoon responding to their request for internal White House communications related to the Solyndra loan guarantee.
“Solyndra is a California solar panel manufacturer that had received $535 million in federal loan guarantees before it was forced to halt operations and file for bankruptcy at the end of August, putting more than 1,000 workers out of work.
“Before its failure, the company had been touted as an example of the benefits of creating green jobs by the Obama administration. But since then, it has become the center of congressional criticism and a probe by the FBI …
“[T]he president’s legal counsel is refusing to hand over all internal White House communications related to the energy firm, including President Obama’s Blackberry messages, arguing that the president needs to protect open counsel from advisers and staff …”
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Politico: ‘Solyndra Ties Show In Obama 3Q Haul’
“Two Obama fundraisers involved in the controversy surrounding bankrupt energy company Solyndra ramped up their efforts on behalf of the president’s campaign in late summer, according to the campaign’s voluntary disclosure of its bundler list, released late Friday …
“Steve Spinner, a longtime Obama fundraiser of Menlo Park, Calif., raised $500,000 or more during the third quarter, up from $200,000 to $500,000 during the second quarter.
“Spinner got a spot in the administration to help monitor the clean energy program that eventually gave $535 million in loan guarantees to faltering Solyndra, which was once touted as a model for business-government partnerships by the Obama White House.
“Spinner repeatedly pushed the Energy Department and the White House to commit to a loan before Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to the company’s headquarters in September 2009, according to emails released by the administration last week.
“Another bundler, Steve Westly, also of Menlo Park, raised between $200,000 and $500,000 during the third quarter, up from $100,000 to $200,000 during the second quarter. Westly warned Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett to reconsider his May 2010 trip to Solyndra’s headquarters as concerns about the company mounted. “I just want to help protect the president from anything that could result in negative or unfair press,” Westly, a venture capitalist, wrote in an email to Jarrett.
“An email to an Obama campaign spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned …”
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Washington Post: ‘E-Mails Show More Officials Were Concerned About Solyndra Loan’
“Concerns that it might be illegal to let private investors recover their money before taxpayers if Solyndra went bankrupt were more widespread within the Obama administration than previously known, documents released on Friday show.
“As Energy Department officials moved toward restructuring a half-billion dollar loan to Solyndra in February, the chief financial officer at the Treasury Department’s Federal Financing Bank wrote to them questioning plans to put taxpayers second in line for repayment. The official, Gary Burner, urged the agency to seek legal advice from the Justice Department.
“‘These adjustments may require approval of the Department of Justice,’ Burner wrote in a Feb. 10 e-mail. ‘Let me know if you need the name of a contact at DOJ.’
“Despite the warning, the deal went forward without Justice Department involvement. Solyndra, a California-based solar panel maker, collapsed in August, and taxpayers are liable for a $535 million federal loan to the company …”
Click Here To Read The Full Article: http://wapo.st/pagl9r
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