House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton (R., Mich.) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee chairman Cliff Stearns (R., Fla.) respond to reports that the two Solyndra executives scheduled to testify before the subcommittee on Friday will plead the Fifth Amendment, despite “repeated assurances” to contrary:
“Who exactly are Solyndra’s executives trying to protect and what are they trying to hide? Despite repeated assurances that they would testify voluntarily and answer questions this Friday, today we received the news that these executives – who had plenty to say to federal officials when securing half a billion dollars in taxpayer funding for their venture – plan to invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and will not answer questions from Congress.
Our investigation has gotten this far without much cooperation from Solyndra, and it will continue with or without their voluntary testimony. It’s disappointing that the officials who canvassed the halls of Congress in mid-July and misled our members about the financial state of their company are now unwilling to answer direct questions, but any effort to cover up the truth will ultimately not succeed. We will not allow stonewalling by DOE, OMB, Committee Democrats, Solyndra, or anyone else to stop this investigation into what happened to half a billion dollars of the taxpayers’ money.
Both Mr. Stover and Mr. Harrison will be sworn in under oath this Friday. We have many questions for Solyndra’s executives on their dealings with the Obama administration, their efforts to secure federal support for a project that appeared doomed from the outset, and why they made certain representations to Congress regarding their dire financial situation just two months ago. We would encourage Mr. Harrison and Mr. Stover to reconsider this effort to dodge questions under oath and hide the truth from those American taxpayers who are now on the hook for their $500 million bust.
The hearing, titled “From DOE Loan Guarantee to Bankruptcy to FBI Raid: What Solyndra’s Executives Knew” will take place this Friday at 9:00 a.m.