Rep. Stearns: ‘Someone should be fired’ over loan to failed solar company

By Andrew Restuccia - 09/14/11 06:35 PM ET

Republicans made it clear Wednesday that they intend to continue shining a spotlight on the bankruptcy of a solar company that received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Obama administration.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, even said he wants to see an administration official fired over the incident.

“I think someone should be fired, and I think at some point you’re going to have to go to the top people and say, ‘Why did this happen?’
You can’t lose this kind of money and have the FBI indicate there is criminal activity here and not have somebody fired,” Stearns told reporters, referring to an FBI raid on the company, California-based Solyndra.

Asked if he would call on Energy Secretary Steven Chu to step down, Stearns demurred.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think this is too early and premature to decide, but I think somebody should be fired.”

Stearns said he hopes to haul Chu and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew in front of his panel next week when top executives from the company testify.

Read more on the Solyndra bankruptcy here.