Chicago mayor and former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said in an interview earlier this month that he is not concerned about continued scrutiny over Solyndra Inc., the company that went bankrupt despite receiving a huge federal loan.
Mitt Romney seems to disagree.
Romney visited the failed Fremont, Calif. company Thursday, and salted old wounds for both Emanuel, who may have to testify for his potential involvement in the scandal, and for the president.
During his visit, Romney ripped the $525 million loan, paid for by taxpayers, and successive bankruptcy of the company, and alleged that the money was more for campaign contributors then for the company itself.
"An independent inspector general looked at this investment and concluded that the administration had steered money to friends and family – to campaign contributors," Romney said. "This building, this half a billion dollar taxpayer investment, represents a serious conflict of interest on the part of the president and his team."
Emanuel may have been one of the members on the President's team pushing for the Solyndra loan.
Even though he denied any knowledge of the loan in September, e-mails from White House officials were uncovered which revealed that Emanuel may have been the one eager to spotlight Solyndra in early 2009.
Congressional Republicans have been looking into the matter, but that's of little mind to Emanuel.
"No," he answered abruptly when asked earlier this month if he was worried about the political implications.
"They've had all the information. I'll do whatever the White House requires of me," he said before moving the conversation in another direction.
