Henry Waxman Tells Darrell Issa He Had 'No Involvement' In Solyndra Loan Selection

WASHINGTON -- The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has accused Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) of "crony capitalism" in the case of Solyndra and beyond, alleging the California Democrat picked company winners and losers for political advantage. But in a letter to Rep. Issa on Monday, Waxman said he had absolutely no connection to the selection of the California-based solar company that secured $535 million in low-interest federal loans in 2009 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month.

"I am writing to let you know that I had no involvement in the selection of the Solyndra loan," Waxman wrote in a letter to Issa on Monday. "In fact, the first time I met with representatives from Solyndra was in July 2011, when the compnay's CEO, Brian Harrison, informed me -- erroneously, it turned out -- that the company's prospects were bright."

In a Tuesday interview on C-SPAN, Issa announced a "broad" investigation into government loan programs that benefit private companies like Solyndra Inc.

"There's been this attitude that government can weigh in with loan guarantees and money and pick winners, specific company winners, and losers," Issa said. "We see that as a backdoor easy way to end up with corruption in government because the people picking winners and losers, in this case Solyndra, include Henry Waxman."

"In the case of the President's people, in the case of Henry Waxman, you clearly had people who saw a link between their campaign contributions, their ideological bent, and these companies," Issa added.

The accusations add to evidence that Republicans are playing the Solyndra card for all that it's worth, scheduling high-profile hearings and leaking information to the press in advance.

After a hearing Friday on Solyndra before the House Energy and Commerce Committee investigative panel, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) told reporters that House Republicans are planning a campaign to keep the politically-connected solar company in the news all season, scheduling interviews and hearings with Solyndra employees and government officials.

"As a former chairman of the Oversight Committee, I know that the public pays attention to statements the chair makes," Waxman wrote in his letter. "That gives whoever occupies the chair of the Oversight Committee a special responsibility to be accurate."

Meanwhile, Issa's office on Monday denied the claim that his accusations are inaccurate.

“As the then-Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, there’s probably no one in Congress more responsible for the flawed provisions in the stimulus that led to Solyndra’s special treatment than Congressman Waxman," said Issa's spokesperson Becca Glover Watkins in a statement to The Huffington Post. "This is a clear case of a former chairman unwilling to accept appropriate responsibility for failing to properly vet the stimulus proposal before it was rushed into law.”

Watch Issa, in his Sept. 20 interview with C-SPAN, accuse Waxman of "crony capitalism":

This story has been updated with comment from Rep. Issa's office.

Comments

[jazgr8]

03:53 PM on 10/03/2011

Of course Waxman had no involvement. At least not this week.

[khandoor1]

09:55 PM on 09/27/2011

sounds kinda like Maxine Waters not having anything to do with steering business to a bank she held stock in...

[B from B]

02:49 PM on 09/27/2011

Waxman's spirited defensive posture may actually serve as a 'negative pregnant' (i.e. if you get too zealous in claiming that you have done nothing wrong, sometimes it demonstrates the opposite by overcompensating on one's claims of 'innocence.'--that is, a negative statement 'pregnant' with an opposite meaning). 'Scandal Mongering' is the new mischaracterization being flung about, much as has 'witch hunt' or 'held hostage' been similarly used. Since Waxman was on the committee when the Dems were in the majority, however, Waxman has now found himself been taken to task, which explains why he's getting so defensive.

[taddles]

06:34 PM on 09/27/2011

Not sure that "I had no involvement in the selection of the Solyndra loan" and not being on the energy commission until after the loan was approved would really count as "so defensive".

Pretty sure that a loan started in 2006 and authorized by the bush appointed DOE committee 6 weeks after Obama was inaugurated and months before Waxman took his seat as chair would have pretty much not have involved Waxman.

[BarryChaLaque]

09:52 AM on 09/27/2011

Follow the money. Always follow the money. This is nothing else than a money laundering. First it goes to the company then it goes to the democrat party, and part of it goes directly to obama, for his "reelection".

obama' goal is to destroy any vestiges of colonialism and capitalism in America. For his agenda to succeed he must give away billions of tax-dollars to his radical friends, outsource millions of jobs overseas, regulate to death any business or entrepreneurial spirit that even appears to have life, and use the term racism against anyone who dares to stand in his way. According to him he' only finished 80% of his work. What will America look like if he' re-elected?

They are using these companies as a front to steal tax payer money,the money goes in the front door and out the back then dispersed to the Socialist agenda to take down America.

[David01]

09:42 AM on 09/27/2011

What scandal? There is no scandal, unless it's within Solyndra's management. Huff Post, you should be ashamed.

[Azetoth]

09:31 AM on 09/27/2011

Rep Issa is guilty of crony politicking, harassment, and slander. Can we take him to court for perjuring congress to gain political talking points?

[regularguynyc]

08:56 AM on 09/27/2011

Didn't Goldman Sachs secure those loans for Solyndra? So between our Federal Government and Goldman Sachs, no one did financial due diligence?!?!? Since Mr. Waxman is Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he is by nature of his post part of this mess...and needs to be investigated for his involvement or incompetence.

[szweir]

08:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Issa is a crook, Issa is a crook.

[Moses the Raven]

07:59 AM on 09/27/2011

Obama was warned of loan dangers long before Solyndra sank
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/09/obama-solyndra-larry-summers.html

[Elyriaohio]

05:32 AM on 09/27/2011

What scandal? Hallibuton, THAT'S a scandal.

[MikeWebster]

06:54 AM on 09/27/2011

Well if you're talking scandal in capitals 1000 feet high, made out of solid gold, then Halliburton is a scandal alright.

[GlamMom]

08:43 AM on 09/27/2011

Then why has Obama continued to use them?

[regularguynyc]

08:40 AM on 09/27/2011

Please describe the "scandal" you refer to...

[Elyriaohio]

05:17 AM on 09/28/2011

Seriously??? OK. They broke into the Watergate Hotel to gain info on their opponents.

[Joshua Grisenthwaite]

03:45 AM on 09/27/2011

Can Waxman have some of Issa's extra nose? I wince whenever I see him- and I'm a democrat o.o

That must make me a horrible person . . .

[trucap]

07:32 AM on 09/27/2011

lol......

[LeftLeanWing]

08:28 AM on 09/27/2011

Waxman is truly an ugly man....

He looks like some species of Tropical Bat.....

[regularguynyc]

08:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Bats are more appealing, at least they eat bugs....This rodent does nothing useful...

[OhMyBoehner]

02:59 AM on 09/27/2011

Lets all remind ourselves the republican wars cost America over $500M every TWO DAYS!

It's the republicans we should be investigating!

[jerzygurl]

03:32 AM on 09/27/2011

The mean the wars that Obama has been carrying out for the last 3 years?

[Joshua Grisenthwaite]

03:46 AM on 09/27/2011

You mean the wars he's ramping down exponentially, trying to unravel the quagmire the G.W.Trash Administration got us into? Yeah, those wars.

[regularguynyc]

08:42 AM on 09/27/2011

You do realize that there are now MORE troops in the Middle East since Obama took over?

[Tom Sito]

02:07 AM on 09/27/2011

How curious that all the investigations seem exclusively focused on the few remaining left wing congressmen- Henry Waxman, Charles Rangel, Anthony Wiener, Maxine Waters.

Hmm... coincidence?

[regularguynyc]

08:45 AM on 09/27/2011

Yes it's ALWAYS a conspiracy, isn't it? Rangle, Weiner, etc.. did nothing wrong in the eyes of a Leftist....

[Tom Sito]

11:39 AM on 09/27/2011

Some of those Dems indeed were doing wrong. Meanwhile Sen Vitter admitted to buying hookers so he could have sex in a diaper, Tom Coburn acted the pimp for Sen John Ensign, and half the Republicans take their orders from some weird C Street cult called The Family.
NONE of those NeoCon Republicans are under investigation.

[rbrown5518]

01:14 AM on 09/27/2011

***Accusing a colleague of a criminal offense publicly with fuzzy evidence which looks destructive really makes Mr. Issa look more and more sizzly.

Let's manufacture a LIE and say it loudly and a lot and maybe something will stick... sounds like the very old play book from Joseph McCarthy!!

[szweir]

08:43 AM on 09/27/2011

Issa is a crook.

[Keith Dyett]

12:32 AM on 09/27/2011

I still don't understand why many still include or blame the Bush Administration for given money to Solyndra.

Note: Facts are from AP and ABC source

Fact 1- The money given to Solyndra was part of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed in to law by Barack Obama, and authored by Democrats in 2009:

Fact 2: The Obama administration restructured a half-billion dollar federal loan to the troubled solar energy company in such a way that private investors — including a fundraiser for President Barack Obama — moved ahead of taxpayers for repayment in case of a default, government records show.

Fact 3: Solyndra officials were intensely pressuring Bush administration officials in early January 2009 to approve a government loan for the solar company before the Obama administration took power but Bush Admin said that while the loan application had "merit" it needed further study before officials could move forward with a taxpayer-financed loan.

Fact 4: Emails released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee suggest the Obama administration did later ignore or discount warning signs about the viability of Solyndra.

[madisonlike60]

02:06 AM on 09/27/2011

Please read this companion article. It has links that have the complete memo from the DOE regarding their reservations of the loan to Solyndra during the Bush administration.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-matzzie/solyndra-scandalmongering_b_980860.html