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Assessing W.H. Response to Solyndra Document Request

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    How transparent has Obama administration been?

  • Duration 4:06
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Stephen -- the energy secretary is defending how the Obama administration handled the half billion dollar loan guarantees to Solyndra.

Saying investments by democratic donors played no part.

In the decision to guarantee those loans but newly uncovered documents appear to show -- politics played a big part in the whole process.

Texas congressman Joseph Barton is a Republican on the house energy and commerce committee.

What how would you assess the White House response.

To the request for documents so -- They are finally beginning to respond at least partially.

They had a deadline of last Thursday and they did since some documents.

Committee staff is going through those documents and some of them.

Have already been released the -- The effort to delay the announcement for example of the layoffs until after the election in November.

Yeah one of the documents that we received last -- -- they've given some but there's still more to go.

Because it was apparent to insiders of the company -- that they were having real financial troubles they were gonna have to lay off a bunch of people.

And there are indications that some people in the administration wanted to put off the announcement.

Of those layoffs until after the election.

-- 8%.

-- is exactly the day after the elect.

It calls into question the wisdom of the government getting involved in these projects to try to make.

You know solar power and wind power and that kind of thing.

Effective.

Well.

I'm not opposed the having the federal government actually invest in some leading edge technology.

But it should be death and on the up and up it should be done transparently.

And it shouldn't be used as a political payoff.

And this is a a half a billion dollar.

The ask.

That they're the fingerprints of Obama of political supporters all over and that in my opinion that's wrong.

-- out there there are there -- a billionaire investor who is closely tied to the president -- close.

The close to the president who who also figures in here.

And he's in -- -- and that's mr.

Keyser he's in and out of the White House I think sixteen or seventeen times.

-- he'd.

He has been interviewed back committee staff and says that he never directly addressed this issue while he was in the White House but -- obviously.

You know it's the elephant in the room that nobody acknowledges everyone knows that his company is invested in.

And then they go to diesel average.

Efforts to.

To not talk about it knowing that -- -- heavily invested in again remember the Bush Administration turn this loan guarantee down.

-- -- -- administration within six weeks.

Not only -- did that accelerated it.

And was talking about giving the president the vice president -- to make the announcement in due planned visits with President Obama ultimately did.

While we're talking about ethics in government you know sixty minutes had that big report that suggested some members of congress effectively profited.

From insider trading knowledge.

About legislation that would affect companies would you support legislation to prohibit that kind of thing.

Well I think any member of congress.

Has to be open and transparent it's not illegal for us to own stocks -- to invest.

But we should do it through the market with knowledge that every American has an opportunity to have access.

So if there were legislation to prohibit quote on quote insider trading by congressman who supported.

I think we have that already but I'd certainly take a look at it tomorrow though I'm getting ready to answer questions -- to.

About what he knew about the Solyndra loan and loan guarantee.

And in some of the information that led him the to improve going around the prohibition in the law against subordination so that the taxpayers weren't left them.

Literally held in the bags and certainly that is going to be any interest in hearing will be watching them.

Congressman Joseph Barton -- beyond thank you.

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