House investigators wrote White House Counsel today to demand that the White House release documents requested under subpoena and indicated a willingness to issue new subpoenas for testimony, in addition to threatening “to take the necessary steps to ensure that there is no further obstruction of our investigation.”
“It is clear that you have numerous other documents in your possession which are responsive to the subpoena,” Energy and Commerce chair Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Oversight and Investigations subcommittee chair Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., wrote to White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler. “You are in violation of the subpoena and must immediately produce all responsive documents or the committee will be forced to take further steps to ensure compliance wth the subpoena.”
Upton and Stearns also said that the refusal by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make certain employees available to the Committee for interviews, briefings or hearings is simply unacceptable,” adding that they “had hoped to obtain [White House] cooperation to avoid the need to issue additional subpoenas for testimony.”
“If the White House persists in stonewalling this Committee,” they warned, “we will not hesitate to take further steps to ensure that there is no further obstruction of our investigation.”
Separately, Upton and Stearns sent a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, imploring him to produce previously requested documents that have not yet been turned over. Investigators are primarily concerned with the contacts between DOE and the White House, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Treasury and Solyndra itself regarding the loan guarantee.
Here is the letter to Ruemmler and the letter to Chu.
