As Republicans call for an investigation into the Biden administration’s connections to an electric bus company it has repeatedly promoted, a new report hints that the ties may run even deeper than they suspected.
The Washington Free Beacon discovered that, in addition to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, several prominent Democratic donors and officials have connections to Proterra, the company the administration has boosted.
Granholm sat on Proterra’s board for four years and holds $5 million in the company’s stock, The Beacon reported.
Proterra merged with a company called ArcLight in January. Nicholas and Joby Pritzker — Democratic megadonors and relatives of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker — own roughly 12 million shares of ArcLight.
Brian Deese of the National Economic Council is also tied to Proterra through the investment firm BlackRock, where he holds more than $2.4 million in stock.
BlackRock invested in the Proterra and ArcLight merger.
Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, who serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, is calling for an investigation into Granholm in particular.
“The American people deserve to understand the full extent of Secretary Granholm’s involvement with Proterra,” he told The Beacon.
“Her position of roughly $5 million in the electric car company Proterra is another unfortunate example of politicians using their position for personal gain. … Due to the president’s recent unveiling of a $2 trillion infrastructure package, this matter should be investigated thoroughly,” he added.
So what do these financial connections actually mean?
They mean that high-profile Democrats and members of the Biden administration may be propping up Proterra as part of their climate change agenda in order to line their own pockets. (And if that’s their plan, it’s working: ArcLight’s stock price has jumped 50 percent since January.)
President Joe Biden and Deese both took part in a virtual tour of the Proterra factory last month to promote government investment in electric buses.
Secretary Granholm dodges on whether it looked “improper” that Joe Biden had a virtual visit with Proterra, a company that she was recently on the board of and still holds a significant financial interest in nearly 100 days into the administration. https://t.co/ansKLKf4Fw pic.twitter.com/rgu5wXuz7N
— America Rising (@AmericaRising) April 26, 2021
The State Department also hosted a climate summit in April which featured Granholm and Proterra CEO Jack Allen.
During the summit, Biden climate advisor Gina McCarthy said “funding for electric school buses is a priority in the American Jobs Plan” and asked Allen how the federal government can play a role in “spurring the demand for zero-emission electric vehicles, including school buses.”
“Good reminder that ‘the American Jobs Plan’ will be a massive vehicle for Biden to reward friends, allies, and donors with taxpayer dollars under the guise of ‘infrastructure,'” former Republican staffer Matt Whitlock tweeted about The Beacon’s report.
Good reminder that “the American Jobs Plan” will be a massive vehicle for Biden to reward friends, allies, and donors with taxpayer dollars under the guise of “infrastructure.”
Solyndra all over again. https://t.co/7FQ8v0v3cT
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) May 5, 2021
Whitlock is right. This entire situation smacks of powerful progressives pulling their political levers — and feeding the climate change frenzy — all the way to the bank.
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