Today, Congressman Mike Turner wrote to House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa to express his “serious concerns” with the refusal of former Auto Task Force members to meet or speak with the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) regarding their involvement in the unjust termination of Delphi retiree pensions.
“Because SIGTARP does not possess testimonial subpoena authority, I am requesting that the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform interview these individuals concerning the role they played in the decision to take the retirement and health benefits of these retirees,” wrote Turner.
In a May 9, 2012 letter, SIGTARP Christy Romero informed Turner and Issa that Ron Bloom, Matthew Feldman, and Harry Wilson have refused to meet or speak with her office. The letter makes clear that their refusal to disclose their involvement renders SIGTARP unable to complete its audit of what led to the severe reductions of Delphi Salaried Retiree’s pensions.
“These individuals earned taxpayer-funded salaries for taxpayer-funded actions, and are now denying those taxpayers the transparency and answers they deserve,” added Turner.
Turner, who is a senior member of the Committee, has been pressing the Administration for answers since the Auto Bailout was undertaken. The investigation by SIGTARP stems from a decision by the PBGC that resulted in approximately 20,000 current and future salaried Delphi retirees from across the country taking a severe cut in their pension benefits. Hearings have been held by the Committee, including a field hearing in Dayton, Ohio late last year.
Note: Letter to Chairman Issa can be found here and the letter from SIGTARP can be found here.