Press Releases

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement today regarding the recent action of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Solyndra bankruptcy proceeding:

“Last week the Department of Justice joined Solyndra in opposing several motions in bankruptcy court.  Among the motions opposed by DOJ and Solyndra was a request for discovery made by the WARN claimants, some of the 1,100 former Solyndra employees who abruptly lost their jobs when the company went bankrupt.

“On both the 20th and 31st of last month, attorneys for the WARN claimants filed motions requesting discovery materials.  Discovery is a legal process asking for information.  In Interrogatory (also known as a question) #12 in the request for discovery, the laid-off workers ask Solyndra to identify all communications and discussions with Argonaut.  Argonaut is a private equity firm which operates with significant funding from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Interestingly, George Kaiser, for whom the family foundation is named, is a businessman who raised more than $250,000 for President Obama’s campaign in 2008.
 
“First, the Administration continues to stonewall the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s request for information on the collapse of Solyndra and the involvement of the Administration and Argonaut in the illegal subordination of $75 million of taxpayer dollars.  What role did the White House play and when did they play it?

“Now, the Administration is helping to stonewall the WARN claimants, some of the fired Solyndra employees.  It appears the Administration is protecting the Solyndra elite and private financier Argonaut at the expense of the out-of-work former employees.

“If the White House has nothing to hide in Solyndra’s dealings with Argonaut, why would the Administration want to block the release of information?

“Why is the White House continuing to stonewall the House Energy and Commerce Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee’s search for information?

“If all of their dealings have been above board, why the need for the Administration to hide?

“The Obama Administration needs to come clean with the American people.  And they need to help the fired Solyndra employees get the information they deserve.”