A coalition of conservative organizations is calling for the resignation of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, citing what they describe as “repeated ethical lapses.”
The groups, including the Media Research Center, Protect the Public’s Trust, Heartland Institute, American Accountability Foundation, and the Energy and Environment Legal Institute, detailed their concerns in a five-page letter to President Joe Biden. According to a report, the letter accuses Granholm, the former Democratic governor of Michigan, of consistently disregarding her ethical obligations.
In their letter to the President, the coalition expressed disappointment with Granholm’s refusal to accept liability, leading them to question the accountability within the administration.
The call for Granholm’s resignation follows an ethics complaint filed against her by Protect the Public’s Trust. The protest was lodged after she revealed to a Senate committee that her husband, David Mulhern, owned stock in Ford Motor Company. This revelation was significant because the company might profit from the Biden administration’s proposed electric vehicle subsidies.
Granholm’s explanation for not disclosing the shares was that she only learned about them on May 13, when they were worth over $2,400, and sold them two days later. Additionally, Granholm clarified a previous statement where she mistakenly said she didn’t own individual stocks, intending to say that she did not own any conflicting stocks.
Furthermore, the letter pointed to Granholm’s prior involvement with electric bus manufacturer Proterra, which recently filed for bankruptcy. In May 2021, she sold 240,000 Proterra shares for $1.6 million. This sale occurred after concerns were raised about potential conflicts of interest related to EV subsidies and promotional appearances involving Proterra by the Energy Department and other members of the Biden administration.
The letter also highlighted that the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found Granholm violating the Hatch Act for seemingly endorsing Democrats in a 2021 interview. Though no disciplinary action was taken, the agency concluded she had not received adequate training regarding the federal law restricting federal employees’ political activities.
Additionally, the conservative groups mentioned the employment of nuclear official Sam Brinton within the Energy Department. Brinton was sentenced to jail and ordered to pay restitution for theft in connection with stolen airport luggage while on a taxpayer-funded trip to the Energy Department’s Nevada National Security Site. The information was revealed by records obtained by the watchdog Functional Government Initiative.
