Posted by Tina
Two groups are investigating the relationship that The Obama administration had with the major principles of Solyndra, the recently failed solar company that received $535 million in loan guarantees as part of the President’s stimulus package. Crossroads GPS and Wikicountability have requested information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Numerous visits to the White House by major principles of Solyndra and campaign contributions are driving the investigations. Personal donations, as well as bundled donations, were made the principles and at least one investor, Tulsa billionaire George Kaiser.
But there are other questions that should be cleared up given the size of taxpayer investment. There is evidence that the business was not viable; a poor target for investment. Obama, who visited the company twice to praise its alternative energy goals, reportedly was personally responsible for fast-tracking the paperwork for stimulus funding:
Obama cited the company as a model of success for his highly touted green-energy industry initiative. In fact, the Obama administration fast-tracked the solar startup’s $535 million loan application to the Department of Energy — a move later criticized by the Government Accountability Office.
The FBI and the House of Representatives are conducting investigations:
The raid and visits come amid increasing evidence the Justice Department and Inspector General are exploring whether Solyndra mislead the government in securing its $535 million loan in 2009 — and landing a vital refinancing of that loan earlier this year. Beginning in March, ABC News, in partnership with iWatch News/the Center for Public Integrity, was first to report on simmering questions about the role political influence may have played Solyndra’s selection as the Obama administration’s first loan guarantee recipient. …
… Republican members of the House have said that bankruptcy indicates the deal was doomed from the start. Now, even Democratic leaders are questioning whether Solyndra misled the government.
“Less than two months ago, Mr. Harrison met with us and other Committee members to assure us that Solyndra was in a strong financial position and in no danger of failing,” Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado, and Henry Waxman, D-California, wrote to Republicans leading the investigation. “These assurances appear to contrast starkly with his company’s decision to file for bankruptcy last week.”
One very troubling aspect of this arrangement is the terms that were given to Solyndra’s private investers as part of the government loan guarantee:
In 2009, the Energy Department put Solyndra’s application on a fast-track for approval, and announced the award with great fanfare. The generous terms of the government loan included the lowest interest of all the green projects benefitting from Energy Department help, iWatch News and ABC News found.
And as part of the deal, the Energy Department agreed that if the company went bust, private investors could recoup their losses before the government. Republicans in Congress called the investment “a bad bet” and said it “put taxpayers at unnecessary risk.” (emphasis mine)
To put this in terms that average Americans understand well, taxpayers have once again been screwed by a slicker than Slick Willy, hopey changey, big government redistribution deal.
Question is, where exactly did the $535 million go?
How about the trillion dollars that the carlyle Group made off the wars? They never got raided or closed. Obama is just following the Bush family recipie. Because he’s a relative.
Another case of just imagine how the liberals/terrorists would be reacting if Obama were a republican.
Dick Witman: “How about the trillion dollars that the carlyle Group made off the wars? They never got raided or closed.”
Do you have specific information that would suggest they should investigate the Carlyle Group or is it just the fact that Bush served on the board of directors until just after his election?
Two people who served under Bill Clinton were Carlyle Group Senior Advisors…does that make Bill Clinton suspect too?
Solyndra was given a substantial amount of taxpayer money. It was the first group to get stimulus money and Obama personally fast-tracked the paperwork through. The company owners and investors were big Obama donors. The loan guarantee agreement protected those private investors in case of loss BEFORE the taxpayers. There are more than a couple of reasons to investigate this company.
Oh…and Michael Moore is a dolt.
Michael Baron of the Washington Examiner has new information:
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/barone-loan-guarantees-solar-firms-tar-obama
As he says even if there is no quid pro quo or cronyism going on there is still a scandal here:
Picking winners and losers is a corrupt game.
Q: “When will they get around to investigating Carlyle?”
Maybe when there’s some there, there!
Ditto on Cheney.
The problem with you progressives is that so many of the crimes you aledge are fabricated nonesense…no there, there.
Ah yes, Dick Cheney, that old conservative from WYOMING who managed to outsmart all the highly educated liberals for so long. They imagine him laughing with a cigar over all the supposed crimes he committed which they are helpless to prove. I keep a picture of him and myself in my office so that when liberals visit, I can watch them get flustered and their faces turn red.