Wash. Post- Dept. Energy pushed Solyndra to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms

[Trajan]

well, thats a wrap, we are into full blown scandal territory now.






Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms
By Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens, Tuesday, November 15, 7:46 AM

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.

snip-

The new e-mails about the layoff announcement were released Tuesday morning as part of a House Energy and Commerce committee memo, provided in advance of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s scheduled testimony before the investigative committee Thursday.

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.

and, the money shot-


Harrison’s e-mail was forwarded to program director, Jonathan Silver, who then alerted White House climate change czar Carol Browner and Vice President Biden’s point person on stimulus, Ron Klain. Browner asked for more information about the announcement, and Chu’s chief of staff explained he had left a voicemail message on her cellphone.

more at-

Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms - The Washington Post

 

[WillowTree]

ahhhh the smell of demoncrat desperation..

 

[Trajan]

well, its academic now. those emails that lead to the WH give congress all the more reason to keep digging.

 

[Mad Scientist]

The Energy Dept. That would be Steven Chu:

Energy Secretary Chu Defends How Administration Handled Solyndra : The Two-Way : NPR

The finger pointing begins:
Obama campaign adviser wanted Steven Chu out - Patrick Reis - POLITICO.com

 

[freedombecki]

well, thats a wrap, we are into full blown scandal territory now.

Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms
By Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens, Tuesday, November 15, 7:46 AM

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.

snip-

The new e-mails about the layoff announcement were released Tuesday morning as part of a House Energy and Commerce committee memo, provided in advance of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s scheduled testimony before the investigative committee Thursday.

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.

and, the money shot-

Harrison’s e-mail was forwarded to program director, Jonathan Silver, who then alerted White House climate change czar Carol Browner and Vice President Biden’s point person on stimulus, Ron Klain. Browner asked for more information about the announcement, and Chu’s chief of staff explained he had left a voicemail message on her cellphone.

more at-

Solyndra: Energy Dept. pushed firm to keep layoffs quiet until after midterms - The Washington Post

This whole taxpayer backup deal is starting to sound like they already were planning to go bankrupt when they got the half a billion dollars.

I wonder, besides us stupid taxpayers, who else is holding the bag?

Sounds like none of Obama's bailing billionaire buddies who got easy-outs.

All these tax bailout things are starting to sound like the Democrats' Huge Piggy Bank Bash.

Since they're cheating us at the ballots anyway, I'm starting to think a king would be better. They only get 20 million in the EU.

Obama gives out half a billion in chump change but only to people on the DNC "help" list aka bailouts.

Oh, to be a fly on the ceiling in the Oval Office.

 

[freedombecki]

Doug Powers had additions to make to what the WP article said, Trajan as follows:

• This particular “investor adviser” posessed the kind of lack of inquisitiveness that probably contributed to the excitement level in the VP’s office.
• As instructed, Solyndra announced the layoffs and a factory shutdown just after the elections were over. In spite of that, the DoE continued to give Solyndra installments of their taxpayer backed loan.
• We all know how the 2010 elections turned out, so not disclosing the layoffs to the public until after the election didn’t exactly save Nancy Pelosi​’s gavel.
• Update: Rahm Emanuel still doesn’t remember anything about Solyndra… whatever that was.
• Update II: Steven Chu tells NPR that politics didn’t play a part in the decision making process regarding Solyndra. Hahahahaha! Sorry…

 

[freedombecki]

Isn't it funny how these quid pro quo deals go down in Washington, and the press only notices the ones on the right, not any on the left. This demand for rewarding political partisan befactors being made of all taxpayers is a little schizoid imho.

The press has let America down by not going after this outrageous pickpocketing of the American taxpayer.

Do they think we do not see, do not hear, do not care?

They seem to think not, because they keep doing it.

 

[Jackson]

Aren't there more hearings tomorrow? Will be watching for them.

Just found it. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Mr. Chu.

http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=9090

 

[freedombecki]

Aren't there more hearings tomorrow? Will be watching for them.

Jackson, there should be two thousand hearings going on tomorrow. You take one trillion dollars Obama plans to route to HIS friends only, divide that into 315 million Americans, with probably less than 100,000,000 being taxpayers, and the burden is collossal. One trillion divided by half a billion gives Obama 2,000 quid pro quo tickets, and a lot of the judges won't take it seriously since the Democrats have put in Democrat judges to protect Democrat clients and in particular, Democrats who give to Democrat politicians.

The thing is, the Democrats don't have to spend a personal cent. They get it from every taxpayer who takes earnings he needs to support a family on both sides of the aisle, and give it to their side of rich people who give a little to the party.

Somebody oughtta spank 'em, put 'em in a corner, and when they're done doing that, make them get out there and get a real job. Oh, wait. Their idea of a job is how to scam the man. Their college professors taught them who and how to make pay for Democrat spending sprees. Leftist lockstepping professors are the Jimmy Swaggarts of the left.

Ok, that's my soapboxing for the night.

 

[Jackson]

Aren't there more hearings tomorrow? Will be watching for them.

Jackson, there should be two thousand hearings going on tomorrow. You take one trillion dollars Obama plans to route to HIS friends only, divide that into 315 million Americans, with probably less than 100,000,000 being taxpayers, and the burden is collossal. One trillion divided by half a billion gives Obama 2,000 quid pro quo tickets, and a lot of the judges won't take it seriously since the Democrats have put in Democrat judges to protect Democrat clients and in particular, Democrats who give to Democrat politicians.

The thing is, the Democrats don't have to spend a personal cent. They get it from every taxpayer who takes earnings he needs to support a family on both sides of the aisle, and give it to their side of rich people who give a little to the party.

Somebody oughtta spank 'em, put 'em in a corner, and when they're done doing that, make them get out there and get a real job. Oh, wait. Their idea of a job is how to scam the man. Their college professors taught them who and how to make pay for Democrat spending sprees. Leftist lockstepping professors are the Jimmy Swaggarts of the left.

Ok, that's my soapboxing for the night.

You speak the truth, Becki!

 

[whitehall]

If the washington Post had this kind of hard evidence about the Nixon administration they wouldn't have had to rely on alleged accounts by an unverified informant. The point is that the left wing media investigative reporters have all retired. Nobody in the left wing media is interested in the truth if it might tend to hurt the Obama administration.

 

[Trajan]

and of course, we get to clean up after the admin. some more-

Ex-Solyndra Staff To Get $13,000 Each In TAA Federal Aid
By Sean Higgins
Mon., Nov. 21, 2011 5:45 PM ET
Tags: Solyndra - Jobs - Environment - Trade

The Labor Department today announced that it had approved Trade Adjustment Assistance for the former employees of the bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra.

That means all of the firm’s 1,100 ex-employees are eligible for federal aid packages, including job retraining and income assistance. The department has valued packages at about $13,000 a head.

Taxpayers will have to cough up yet another $14.3 million as a result of Solyndra’s bankruptcy. They are already on the hook for $528 million in federal loan guarantees to the company that are unlikely to ever be paid back.

The department’s decision also bodes well for a trade complaint made against China by a coalition of domestic solar panel makers. The request for the TAA was based on the claim that Solyndra failed because China was underselling U.S. manufacturers. By granting the assistance, the Labor Department has indicated it believes those charges have at least some merit.

The announcement was made quietly today by the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration on its website. The decision was reached Friday.

more at-
Ex-Solyndra Staff To Get $13,000 Each In TAA Federal Aid