FREDUPTON,MICHIGANCHAIRMANHENRYA.WAXMAN,CALIFORNIARANKINGMEMBER
ONEHUNDREDTWELFTHCONGRESS
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COMMITTEEONENERGYANDCOMMERCE
2125
RAYBURNHOUSEOFFICEBUILDINGWASHINGTON,
DC20515-6115
Majority(202)225-2927Minority(202)225-3641
November
9,2011
Ms.KathrynRuemmlerCounseltothePresidentTheWhiteHouse
1600
PennsylvaniaAvenue,N.W.Washington,D.C.
20500
DearMs.Ruemmler:ThankyouforyourletterdatedNovember
4,2011,
regardingyourreceiptofthesubpoenatheCommitteeissuedonNovember
3,2011,
inconnectionwithourinvestigationofSolyndra,Inc.(Solyndra).WeappreciateyourwillingnesstoworkwiththeCommitteetoaccommodateitslegitimateoversightinterests.ExecutiveBranchdepartmentsoragenciestypicallyperformaninternalreviewinresponsetoCommitteedocumentrequestsandprovidefeedbacktotheCommitteestaffthatcanbetterinformtheissuessurroundingtheproductionofdocuments.Asweexpressedduringourmeetingoneweekago,inordertomovethisnegotiatingprocessforward,itisimportantthatyouprovideinformationfromyourowninternalreview,suchashowmanyindividualsintheWhiteHousewereinvolvedintheSolyndramatterandthequantityandtypeofresponsivedocumentsinthepossessionoftheWhiteHouse.WecouldthendiscussyourconcernsbasedonactualfactsratherthanhypotheticalfearsaboutthenatureandscopeoftheCommittee'srequest.Asforyoursuggestionthatwefirstreviewthedocumentspreviouslyproducedbyotheragencies,pleasebeassuredthatwedidsobeforeissuingthesubpoena.ManyofthosedocumentsdemonstratethatWhiteHouseemployeeswerecloselyinvolvedwithdecisionsregardingSolyndraandtheloanguaranteeprogram,whichispreciselythereasonthatwesentourdocumentrequestletterstoyouoverthepasttwomonths.Thoserequestswerelargelyignored,forcingtheCommitteetoissuethesubpoena.ThedocumentswehaveobtainedthusfardemonstratethatsuchhighlevelWhiteHouseadvisorsasValerieJarrett,RonKlain,RahmEmanuel,andLarrySummerswereinvolvedindiscussionsanddecisionsrelatedtoSolyndra.Thisraisessomeseriousquestionsaboutthe
LettertoMs.KathrynRuemmlerPage2managementoftheDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)loanguaranteeprogram,aswellastheprioritiesoftheWhiteHouse.IfonlyafewWhiteHouseemployeeswereinvolvedintheSolyndramatterandthusthereisonlyasmallnumberofdocumentsresponsivetooursubpoena,thosedocumentswillnotbecostlyorburdensometoproduce.If,ontheotherhand,numerousWhiteHouseemployeeswereinvolvedintheSolyndramatterandtherearealargenumberofresponsivedocumentstoproduce,thenotherquestionsareraised.Basedonthedocumentsthatwehaveobtainedthusfar,itseemsclearthatthisintenseinterestinSolyndramanifesteditselfinpressureonDOEandtheOfficeofManagementandBudgettorushtheirdecisionsrelatedtoSolyndra'sloanguarantee,ultimatelyresultinginthelossofoverhalfabilliondollarsoftaxpayermoney.Further,whileourinquiryisnotfocusedsolelyonpossiblepoliticalinfluencesurroundingtheSolyndraloanguarantee,thatiscertainlyoneareaofinterest.WenotethattheWhiteHousehasrepeatedlystatedthatnopoliticalinfluencewasbroughttobearwithregardtoSolyndra,andthatMr.GeorgeKaiser,aSolyndrainvestorandObamafundraiser,neverdiscussedSolyndraduringanyofhisseventeenvisitstotheWhiteHouse.'DocumentsrecentlyobtainedbytheCommitteedirectlycontradictthosestatements.PleaseseeattachedthreesuchexamplesthatclearlyestablishthatMr.Kaiserand/orhisoperativesdiscussedSolyndrawithWhiteHouseofficials.Inlightoftheforegoing,theAmericanpeopleclearlydeservetoknowwhytheyhavelostover500milliondollarsasaresultoftheAdministration'sdecisiontoproceedwiththeSolyndraloanguaranteeanditsrestructuring.Toadvancethatcause,westandreadytoengageinfurtherdiscussionswithyouregardingthedocumentproduction.Intheabsenceofanyfurtherinformationfromyouregardingthescopeoftheresponsivedocumentsinyourpossession,however,weexpectyoutofullycomplywiththestateddeadline.PleasecalloneofusorhaveyourstaffcallKarenChristianorToddHarrisonwiththeCommitteestaffat(202)225-2927whenyouarepreparedtodiscussthesemattersfurther.Sincerely,SubcommitteeonOversightandInvestigations
I
October6,2011,ABCNEWS.com,Obama:SolyndraGotLoan'OntheMerits'Quotingfromthereport:"aWhiteHouseofficialfamiliarwithaninternalreviewofmeetingsbetweenKaiserandsuchseniorpresidentialaidesasValerieJarrettandPeteRouse,toldABCNewsthattheWhiteHousenowfirmlybelievethatKaiserneverbroachedthesubjectoftheSolyndraloan.Kaiserhas'saidpublically(sic)thatSolyndrawasnotdiscussedatthesemeetings,andwehavenoreasontodisputethat,'theWhiteHouseofficialsaid,speakingontheconditionofanonymitybecausehehadnotbeengivenapprovaltodiscussthematter."
LettertoMs.KathrynRuemmlerPage3cc:TheHonorableHenry
A.
Waxman,RankingMemberTheHonorableDianaDeGette,RankingMemberSubcommitteeonOversightandInvestigations
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