Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm demanding an explanation for misleading Senator Hawley during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. During the April hearing, Secretary Granholm claimed she did not own any personal financial stocks, when in fact, she held individual stocks as recently as May of this year.
"I write in response to your letter dated June 9, 2023 to the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources admitting that you misled the committee and, in particular, misled me about your compliance with federal ethics laws and your conflicts of interest regarding stock holdings," wrote Senator Hawley. "These alarming new revelations demand an immediate and complete explanation from you."
He continued, "Three times you told me, and this committee, that you did not own individual stocks. But we now know that was false. Last Friday, you informed the committee that you did own stocks at the time of your testimony on April 20, 2023. In fact, you still held stocks in six companies. You then divested from these holdings on May 18, 2023. But you chose not to notify the committee until last Friday—over seven weeks after the hearing and at least three weeks after you sold these stocks. So I want to know: why?"
Read the full letter here or below.
June 13, 2023
The Honorable Jennifer Granholm
Secretary
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20585
Secretary Granholm:
I write in response to your letter dated June 9, 2023 to the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources admitting that you misled the committee and, in particular, misled me about your compliance with federal ethics laws and your conflicts of interest regarding stock holdings. These alarming new revelations demand an immediate and complete explanation from you.
As you know, in January 2022, news reports indicated that you violated federal conflict of interest laws by improperly disclosing stock sales. Then earlier this year, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal reported that “hundreds of Energy Department officials hold stocks related to agency’s work despite warnings.” When you testified before the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources in April, I asked you point blank: “Do you own individual stocks?” You responded: “No, I’m invested in mutual funds.” When I pressed you about reports that you had violated stock disclosure laws nine times, you responded that you had missed a filing deadline for stocks that you had previously owned. I asked for clarity: “You don’t own any individual stock now, so maybe you did when you first came, and you converted them to mutual funds?” You responded: “Yea, it totally was the sale of what I had, because I’m not owning individual stocks.” Three times you told me, and this committee, that you did not own individual stocks.
But we now know that was false. Last Friday, you informed the committee that you did own stocks at the time of your testimony on April 20, 2023. In fact, you still held stocks in six companies. You then divested from these holdings on May 18, 2023. But you chose not to notify the committee until last Friday—over seven weeks after the hearing and at least three weeks after you sold these stocks. So I want to know: why?
So that Congress can consider further action concerning your compliance with federal ethics laws, please provide the following information by June 20, 2023.
- Why did you not immediately notify the committee to correct the record on your false testimony?
- Why did it take you four weeks to sell your remaining individual stocks?
- Why did it take you over three weeks to notify the committee of that sale?
- Why did you elect not to sell all of your individual stocks when you assumed office?
In addition, within 30 days, please provide the Committee and my office a complete list of all of your individual stock transactions over the past 10 years for an evaluation of any additional conflicts of interest.
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator