GOP lawmaker demands independent probe into Solyndra

A Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is calling on the White House to appoint an independent investigator to examine the administration’s decision to approve a $535 million loan guarantee for a now-bankrupt solar company.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said the Obama administration should have quickly appointed a special investigator to look into Solyndra, the failed California-based solar-panel manufacturer, after the company announced late last month it would file for bankruptcy and lay off 1,100 workers.

{mosads}“My opinion is that it should have already happened. It hasn’t,” Burgess said Monday on Fox Business Network. “We’ll see where that goes, but clearly there needs to be a special master involved in the investigation.”

Burgess and other Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have launched an investigation into the Solyndra bankruptcy, alleging that the administration missed a series of red flags that hinted at the company’s financial troubles.

In addition, Republicans on the panel have released a series of emails they say show that the White House tried to rush a final decision on the company’s financing so that Vice President Biden could announce approval of the loan guarantee at the September 2009 groundbreaking for the company’s new factory.

The Solyndra debacle has ignited a firestorm in Washington, offering Republicans a new opportunity to bash the White House going into an election year.

The Justice Department has launched its own investigation into the Solyndra incident, but Burgess suggested Monday that the DOJ probe might not be adequate.

Asked by anchor David Asman if the Justice Department investigation would be impartial, Burgess laughed, then added, “I probably should not speculate on that.”

The White House has denied any wrongdoing related to Solyndra, arguing that the emails released by Republicans were a “scheduling matter,” not an attempt to influence the final decision on the loan guarantee.

The Energy Department has vowed to continue investing in clean-energy technology. Such investments, officials say, are necessary to compete with countries such as China, which has put billions into solar energy.

The department is in the process of finalizing a slew of loan guarantees for solar, wind and other projects during the next few days. The loan guarantee program expires Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.