WASHINGTON (AP) ? Newly released emails show that the Obama administration was worried about the financial health of a troubled solar energy company even as officials publicly declared the company in good shape.
An email from a White House budget official to a co-worker discussed the likely effect of a default by Solyndra Inc. on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
The Jan. 31 email said “the optics of a Solyndra default will be bad” and would likely coincide with the 2012 campaign season. The email was released late Thursday as part of a congressional investigation.
Solyndra, based in Fremont, Calif., received $528 million in federal loans under the 2009 stimulus law. The company declared bankruptcy late last month and laid off 1,100 workers.
