Obama’s Spinner Standard

Meet The Guy Who Went From Being CEO Of A Sports Sciences Start-Up To Managing Billions Of Dollars Of Your Money At The Infamous Department Of Energy

OBAMA HIRED A SPORTS EXEC WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE IN ENERGY TO MANAGE $25 BILLION IN GREEN ENERGY LOANS

Spinner Monitored The Energy Department’s “Green” Loan Guarantees. “Steve Spinner, who helped monitor the Energy Department’s issuance of $25 billion in government loan guarantees to renewable energy projects, was one of Obama’s top fundraisers in 2008 and is raising money for the president’s 2012 reelection campaign.” (Matea Gold and Stuart Pfeifer, “Obama Fundraiser Linked To Loan Program That Aided Solyndra,” Los Angeles Times , 9/16/11)

• “‘Steve Spinner Acted As A Liaison Between The Recovery Act Office And The Loan Programs Office,’ Energy Department Spokesman Damien Lavera Said In A Statement Friday.” (Matea Gold and Stuart Pfeifer, “Obama Fundraiser Linked To Loan Program That Aided Solyndra,” Los Angeles Times , 9/16/11)

Steve Spinner’s LinkedIn Profile Documents That Prior To Joining The Obama Administration, Spinner Was The CEO Of Sports Potential, A “Start-Up Sports Sciences And Educational Services Company.” (Steve Spinner, Linkedin, Accessed 6/5/12)

• Spinner’s Sports Potential Sold A $135 “Smart” Test That Analyzed A Child’s “Physical And Cognitive Skills” “To Determine Potential In 38 Sports.” “Steve Spinner created Sports Potential, a company in Menlo Park, Calif., that aims to keep such concerns in mind — for example, by guiding parents to enroll their children only in sports for which they are ready. He started the company with the help of Bill Bradley, the basketball star turned politician. Sports Potential sells a $135 test called Smart, which analyzes the cognitive and physical skills of children ages 8 to 12 to determine potential in 38 sports.”(Jennifer Alsever, “A New Competitive Sport: Grooming The Child Athlete,” The New York Times, 6/25/06)

Maybe It Was Spinner’s Fundraising Prowess That Qualified Him

From January, 2007 To November 2008, Spinner Served As An Obama National Finance Committee Member. (Steve Spinner, LinkedIn, Accessed 6/5/12)

• In 2008, Spinner Raised At Least $500,000 For Obama’s Campaign. (Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 6/5/12)

Spinner Remains Actively Involved In Obama’s Campaign

Spinner Has Raised At Least $500,000 For Obama’s Reelection Campaign. (Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 6/5/12)

• In October, 2011 Spinner Helped To Plan An Obama Fundraiser. “A former Energy Department official linked to the failed Solyndra solar enterprise deal continues to raise campaign money for President Obama and helped plan a fundraising luncheon that the president will attend in San Francisco on Tuesday.” (Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, “Solyndra-Linked Fundraiser Still Boosting Obama Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, 10/24/11)
• Spinner Has Been On Numerous Fundraising Calls For Obama’s Campaign . “He also has joined other Obama fundraising calls, according to a person familiar with Spinner’s participation who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.” (Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, “Solyndra-Linked Fundraiser Still Boosting Obama Campaign,” Los Angeles Times,10/24/11)
• Obama Campaign Official: Spinner Is An “Active Fundraiser For The Campaign.” “An Obama campaign official said Sunday that Spinner did not raise funds for the San Francisco event but is an ‘active fundraiser for the campaign.’” (Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, “Solyndra-Linked Fundraiser Still Boosting Obama Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, 10/24/11)

SO WHAT DID SPINNER DO WITH TAXPAYER FUNDS?

Obama’s Green Energy Loan Program Was Run By Campaign Bundler And Finance Committee Member Steve Spinner. “Instead, the department’s loan and grant programs are run by partisans who were responsible for raising money during the Obama campaign from the same people who later came to seek government loans and grants. Steve Spinner, who served on the Obama campaign’s National Finance Committee and was a bundler himself, was the campaign’s ‘liaison to Silicon Valley.’ His responsibilities included fundraising, recruiting more bundlers, and managing Obama’s relationship with a cadre of very wealthy donors.” (Peter Schweizer, “Obama Campaign Backers And Bundlers Rewarded With Green Grants And Loans,” Newsweek, 11/12/11)

• Spinner Was Responsible For Doling Out Energy Grants To The Same Silicon Valley Investors That Backed Obama’s Campaign. “After the 2008 campaign, Spinner joined the Department of Energy as the ‘chief strategic operations officer’ for the loan programs. A lot of the money he helped hand out went to that same cadre of wealthy Silicon Valley campaign donors. He also sat on the White House Business Council, which is made up of Obama-supporting corporate executives.” (Peter Schweizer, “Obama Campaign Backers And Bundlers Rewarded With Green Grants And Loans,” Newsweek, 11/12/11)

Spinner Was “Actively Involved” In Solyndra’s Loan Despite A Promise To Recuse Himself From The Deal. “Emails released last week show that Spinner was actively involved in a $528 million federal loan for Solyndra Inc., despite pledging to recuse himself because his wife’s law firm represented the company.” (Matthew Daly, “Solyndra Loan Figure Raises $500k For Obama,” The Associated Press, 10/14/11)

• Spinner Was “Deeply Involved” In The Planning Of Solyndra’s Loan Guarantee Announcement And “In Close Contact With Solyndra Executives.” “On June 15, 2009, he wrote to his boss, Matt Rogers, a senior advisor at the Energy Department who oversees stimulus spending: ‘here’s the Solyndra checklist of all of the 60-70 items that need to be done for closing.’ A flurry of emails from early August to early September 2009 portrayed Spinner as impatient to show that the stimulus act was producing jobs, especially at so-called clean technology firms such as Solyndra. He was deeply involved in coordinating a ‘big event’ to announce the approval of Solyndra’s loan guarantee, which he envisioned involving ‘golden shovels, bulldozers, hardhats, etc,’ according to an Aug. 20, 2009, email. In addition, the emails showed that he was in close contact with Solyndra executives to plan the event.” (Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, “Solyndra-Linked Fundraiser Still Boosting Obama Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, 10/24/11)

• “Emails Show Spinner Pushed For A Prompt Decision On The Solyndra Loan As His Wife’s Law Firm Was Representing The Company.” (Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, “Solyndra-Linked Fundraiser Still Boosting Obama Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, 10/24/11)

• Spinner’s Wife Worked For Wilson Sonsini, Which Helped Its Clients Receive $2.75 Billion In DOE Grants And Financing. “The Energy Department came under criticism from Republicans earlier this year when agency e-mails raised questions about a possible conflict of interest involving Steven J. Spinner, a former department loan adviser who disclosed that his wife worked for Wilson Sonsini, a Silicon Valley law firm that handled funding applications for several clean-tech companies. Wilson Sonsini’s clean-tech clients reaped $2.75 billion in Department of Energy grants and financing, the Post analysis found.” (Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens, “Venture Capitalists Play Key Role In Obama’s Energy Department,” The Washington Post , 2/14/12)

Spinner Pushed For Solyndra Loan To Give A “Political Victory” To Obama. “In the lengthy email discussions that occurred in the days before the Solyndra loan closed in September 2009, Spinner emerges as a key figure in advocating for getting the deal done, apparently in an effort to score the loan as a political victory for President Obama. Many of the emails surround his efforts to coordinate plans for either President Obama or Vice President Biden to announce it as the administration’s first loan approval — one that he repeatedly notes will create clean energy jobs.” (Matthew Mosk, “Obama Fundraiser Pushed Solyndra Deal From Inside,” ABC News, 10/7/11)

Emails Show “Spinner Worked Hard” On Solyndra’s Behalf During The Loan Process, Including Pushing For A Final Decision. “Yet throughout Solyndra’s loan process, Spinner worked hard to defend the company from criticisms inside the government, including questions from climate czar Carol Browner’s office. He pushed to get a final decision on approving the loan in August.” (Carol D. Leonning and Joe Stephens, “Solyndra: Obama And Rahm Emanuel Pushed To Spotlight Energy Company,”The Washington Post ,10/7/11)

• “‘How F***Ing Hard Is This?’ Spinner Wrote On Aug. 28 An Another Department Official. ‘What Is He Waiting For’ Will We Have It By The End Of The Day?’” (Carol D. Leonning and Joe Stephens, “Solyndra: Obama And Rahm Emanuel Pushed To Spotlight Energy Company,” The Washington Post , 10/7/11)
• Spinner Suggested DOE Approval Of Solyndra Will Encourage The OMB To Approve Of It “A Little Fast To Help The Closing.” “He also corresponds with career Department of Energy loan officials who are making the final decisions on the Solyndra loan. In one instance, he writes, ‘Hopefully, this might spur [the Office of Management and Budget] a little faster to help the closing.’”(Matthew Mosk, “Obama Fundraiser Pushed Solyndra Deal From Inside,” ABC News, 10/7/11)
• Spinner: “I Have OVP And WH Breathing Down My Neck On This.” “‘How hard is this? What is he waiting for?’ wrote Steven J. Spinner, a high-tech consultant and energy investor who raised at least $500,000 for the candidate before being appointed to a key job helping oversee the energy loan guarantee program. ‘I have OVP [the Office of the Vice President] and WH [the White House] breathing down my neck on this.’” (Matthew Mosk, “Obama Fundraiser Pushed Solyndra Deal From Inside,” ABC News, 10/7/11)
• In August, 2009, Senior Energy Department Advisor Matt Rogers Wrote To Spinner: “Thanks For Driving Solyndra.” “In late August 2009, Rogers wrote to Spinner in another email exchange: ‘Thanks for driving Solyndra.’”(Neela Banerjee and Matea Gold, “Obama Fundraiser Took Active Interest In Solyndra Loan, Emails Show,”Los Angeles Times, 10/8/11)

Spinner “Corresponded Directly” With Solyndra Execs.“Emails obtained Friday, however, show Spinner corresponded directly with Solyndra’s vice president of marketing and business development. In one, the Solyndra executive sends talking points about the loan and jots a quick note: ‘Steve, Solyndra’s official position on jobs for your speechwriting.’” (Matthew Mosk, “Obama Fundraiser Pushed Solyndra Deal From Inside,” ABC News, 10/7/11)