Despite the Obama administration’s desperate attempts to blame George W. Bush for the Solyndra loan scandal, House Republicans have initiated a series of high-profile investigations into whether the loan guarantee was a political payback. Company VIPs have already said they will invoke the Fifth Amendment when called to testify before Congress tomorrow.
One of the people Republicans must compel to testify about her role in the scandal is Barack Obama’s closest adviser, Valerie Jarrett.
Solyndra CEO Brian Harrison will take the Fifth when he (briefly) testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday. Committee chairman Fred Upton of Michigan has asked, “Who exactly are Solyndra’s executives trying to protect and what are they trying to hide?”
Harrison hopes to hide the role one of his chief shareholders played in currying, or buying, favor with Jarrett and the administration.
In 2009, the same year Solyndra received its $535 million federal loan guarantee, the George Kaiser Family Foundation made a $10,000 donation to the Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The foundation controls 35.7 percent of Solyndra.
Just months before Kaiser’s foundation poured tax-exempt cash into its coffers, Valerie Jarrett served as the medical center’s chairwoman. The initiative was created by none other than future First Larcenist Michelle Obama. In an earlier act of cronyism, Michelle “recommended” the center hire David Axelrod’s firm to provide PR in 2006. Indeed, the project employed a bevy of Obama’s Chicago cronies. In a 2008 story, The Washington Post reported:
One of Barack’s best friends, Eric Whitaker, is executive vice president at the center and is now in charge of the Urban Health Initiative. Hospital board member Kelly R. Welsh is executive vice president at Northern Trust Co., which extended the couple a $1.3 million home mortgage shortly after Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate. Dan Shomon, Barack Obama’s former campaign manager, is a university lobbyist. Jarrett, Whitaker, Welsh and Shomon all declined to be interviewed or did not respond to requests.
George Kaiser visited the White House 16 times, holding at least one friendly chat with Jarrett. Kaiser insists the loan never came up.
Perhaps it did not. Perhaps he merely cooed into Jarrett’s ear that his foundation made a $10,000 donation to the Urban Health Initiative and Kaiser personally bundled more than $50,000 for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. She would have known what to do.
Somehow after these meetings, Solyndra’s loan guarantee was approved, despite a series of red flags that included “a non-investment grade rating” from Fitch Ratings and serious questions from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. This February the government restructured Solyndra’s loan to assure new investors would be repaid before taxpayers in the event of bankruptcy, violating the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Obama and Jarrett had to assure the circular cash flow continued.
As a smart business man, Kaiser would have known the importance of having an inside track to the president. An Obama 2008 campaign official told the New York Times, “If you want [Barack Obama] to do something, there are two people he’s not going to say no to: Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama.” By all accounts, the president and first lady have a relationship with Jarrett that borders on co-dependence. The fact is, being connected to Jarrett means dwelling in the Obamas’ unmerited favor.
Kaiser is not the only one close to Jarrett to benefit from her advocacy. Another recent federal grant went to cover up one of her biggest mistakes.
Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago received one of five inaugural “Choice Neighborhoods Initiative” grants after promising to join with Preservation of Affordable Housing to fix up Grove Parc Plaza. Taxpayers are on the hook $30.5 million to fix up the federal housing tract formerly administered by Habitat, a real estate firm that gave Jarrett a soft landing after she lost stature in the mayor’s office. (Habitat is headed by Daniel Levin, the cousin of Sen. Carl Levin and Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan.) The company’s upkeep was so poor that The Boston Herald noted in 2008 nearly 100 of the complex’s 504 units had been “rendered uninhabitable by unfixed problems.” Five years ago, federal inspectors rated the object of Jarrett’s stewardship an 11 on a scale of 1-to-100. Nonetheless, Habitat made more than $16 million as a protector of the downtrodden.
Federal officials had recommended Grove Parc’s demolition. But failure is no obstacle to receiving taxpayer dollars for Obama’s favored recipients. Now the funds are flowing in the hopes Obama can save Habitat’s (and thus Jarrett’s) bacon and point to its rehabilitation as one of his administration’s successes.
The Solyndra investigations have begun. In addition to tomorrow’s hearings, Rep. Lamar Smith has called for the appointment of an independent investigator. And Darrell Issa’s Oversight and Government Reform Committee has launched a “broad” probe into Solyndra and the wider question of government loans.
They could save time by holding a single hearing into the cronyism and influence of Valerie Jarrett in the hopes of forcing her removal from the White House. Until her bosom buddies from the Windy City can be turned out of the public housing they are currently defiling, removing Jarrett from a position of influence would be a satisfying proxy victory.
Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.
Follow @WestJournalism
Loading ...
The only missing piece of the this puzzle is where does "Spooky Dude" fit into it? Follow the money, but hurry they are already cleaning up this mess like they cleaned up Barry's life history prior to becoming a political figure.
The always brings up Nixon and Watergate. That was a misdemeanor compared to Barry and his crones Quick cash grab and run he is on.
How much will Barry be worth by the end of his first term? More than he got paid for this hit job he did on us.
Follow the money and watch this man after he leaves office. I bet payoffs to him will be flooding in from all he gave money to.
Yes, I'm sure he will receive many payoffs. I have a good hunch that there will be more to come after Solyndra, Don't know if Lightsquare was discovered before or after Solyndra. I'm sure there are many more bodies to be discovered before all is said & done. Personally, I would still like to know about Barry's background…but he managed to get that covered his first day in office. Keep an eye on this man b/c I feel that the best is to come. One thing I have always questioned is how he was able to carry that Blackberry around with him…no telling who he is talking to!! Just be rid of him, would make my day. Sure hope that the doesn't manage to do what he did in 2008. As far as that goes, it has been proven that an election can be fixed using computers. We really should go back to pencils & papers .
She needs to be fully investigated for this,and every single unconstitutional illegal act they have committed,since unconstitutionally,fraudulently ursurping office of President of the United States of America.
They should look at her participation in the Fast and Furious scandal as I'm sure it went at least that high in government if not all the to the president.
Obama may be the mouthpiece…..but Valerie and Michelle run the show. This is the one person that should be investigated before anyone else.
They need to ask harder questions. I would love, for instance, to have them asked if they or anyone in their office has already shredded documents pertaining to this matter., and if so, why?
Every person that obama has in his cabinet and that support him is as crooked as a dog's hind leg.
More Obama BS, this woman is set up purposely to take a bullet for his royal highness. He uses and abuses his associates and enablers and they remain devoted. Makes me wonder if some of Harry Reid's blowhard opinions aren't akin to how this woman is taking a fall, not that she will go anywhere anytime soon, she will just go back to Chicago politics when and if Obama ever leaves office.
I can't forget Valerie Jarret's remarks, about the appointment of Van Jones as Green Jobs Tsar. Jones was an avowed communist, tried to get a cop killer released from a California jail, and signed a petion that claimed the USA ,was complicit for 9/11/01. I don't think she can deny all of these facts, since she clearly and proudly claimed that they had been watching Jones for a long long time and was proud to have him in the White House. If not for Glenn Beck's exposing Van Jones, he would still be employed by the Government.
I suspect Valerie Jarrett is the same woman Obama sent to Oregon State University, with $17,000,000.00 so Michelle Obamas brother would not be fired. Pretty good wages for a college coach. Obama & his Czars, along with many incumbants of both parties give a new meaning to the word CORRUPT. But what do we expect, when most of our Reps in Congress, don't even know the meaning of the word " ILLEGAL "
As any of us familiar with PAC-12 sports knows, the oft-repeated claim about $17 million sent to OSU to save Craig Robinson's job is simply moronic. Not only does the timing of events make no sense for such a claim, but Robinson has been the most successful coach in years for OSU's pitiful basketball program. His job was never in danger, nor should it have been.
I live in Oregon, not too far from OSU. It is funny, that many people in the area believe the story is true, some of them working at the College. Of course, I forgot, you know everything.
"I forgot, you know everything."
Not even close, though by comparison with most of the folks here it may seem like it.
I'm also capable of doing a Google search and of using a calendar.
James: That Honor goes to you, & you win hands down.
Yes some here could use a lesson on Google or Bing to see how wrong they really are. But you know conspiracy seem to sell well. Always has.
Passing out the United States Constitutions to other Americans seems to be "wrong" when it comes to the New Black Panther Party. We all have to remember that Eric Holder also gave these left wing hate mongers a free pass on the Philadelphia voting intimidation case. With that parallel in mind, where is the ACLU on this one? Both are…………..silent! Now how would anyone guess this who is a patriot and believer in their country and founding fathers!
http://d-umn.campusreform.org/group/blog/video-bl…
What Is That Bad-Smell Of Fish?? Could It Be Czar Valerie Jarrett Or Michelle Obama, Yikeess, What Ever That Is Chi-Town Politics At Its Worst With The Imposter Muslim Pres Obama At The Wheel Of That Stinky Fish Bus Heading For The Cliff, Yikeess, How Much Evidence Must One Get To Put That Group Of Socialist Goons In Prison?? God Bless America And The Tea Party Patriots With Sarah Palin.
Linda Jordan, U.S. Citizen and Employer of Putative President Barack Obama, sends an E-Verify system Failure Notice Letter to Putative President Barack Obama, employee: http://cdrkerchner.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/linda…
CDR Kerchner (Ret) http://www.protectourliberty.org
Wow! The name and the SSN did not match. Interesting. Hey Ellen could you explain this and if this is true? Just saying, Barry sure has a cloud of confusion for a past. I hope this is not true, because if it is then we have a very corrupt system in Washington when the CIA, FBI and anyone else responsible for Vetting this man named Barry before they made him the most powerful person in the free world, let this slide by. That would be a good fiction book but to pass all the background checks and still be sworn into office. Wow! Big time.
Barry Lied his whole life and people died.
PS. Libya is still a illegal war and Barry should be called on it.
Why won't someone call him on this? Why?
Same as with all other issues that Barry has got us into.
1. Still Bush's fault.
2. Any mention of his war would be racist.
3 Any mention of his war would be a racial slur.
4. Any mention of his war would be racist.
QQ
See I used Ellen's name to see if she can explain what CDR Kerchner (Ret) link has to say about the SSN and Barry. That whole thing still puzzles me you know the darn SSN. I just must be racist, oh well if expecting all people of being vetted the same is racist, then I guess they got me. I am racist against all people that are not totally vetted racist.
Barry still lies and I am racist against all non-vetted people.
And it's Bush's fault!
LMFAO
That dog won't hunt. They ran that blame game way to long, when in fact the side that blamed President Bush were just as responsible if not more responsible for this crash and burn we got.
I think that the people that Vote straight Democrat are either stupid, brainwashed or just took way to much collage education which in fact is brain washing these days. James this does not include you do to you said you vote for a token Republican every election. There is still hope for you. Just kidding. ROTFLMAO.
Opps Barry is lying and people are still dying.
Barry lied and people died!
Still dying.
Yes indeed, considering that it was a Demo ratic Congress then anyway
slipping their earmarks and other pork into every bill and budget measure.
The Demo rats were already stealing from the American people just under
Bush's watch (which I think it was his fault in that he didn't call the spade)
and then Barry took over and same Congress continued.
Barry's fault!, Barry's fault!
The least reported item about the current Republican House is that they have not allowed any earmark at all. Amazing, but will cost them next election becuase the Dems will say Republican hate old people and children and would not allow funding for them under the earmarks they use to get, which in fact is not true and earmarks were just kickbacks for election funding. Hey I got an Idea, stop allowing so much money being donated in the first place. Set election limits and let both side fight for the same seat with equal money and ZERO pacs funds. Never happen, both side love to bank that money for their retirements.
Well I guess we won't get Ellen's take on this. I do miss her participation in these debate sometimes.
Certificate of Live Birth. ROTFLMAO