Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, has been accused by Republican political rival James Jett of using intermediaries to bribe him to stay out of a challenge. “This is a pure and simple political maneuver by Mr. Jett to illegally entrap former friends for vindictive reasons,” a Stearns spokesman said. The Checks and Balances Project has sent a letter to energy committee chair Fred Upton (R-MI) saying Stearns should step down from his oversight position if he is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As the lead investigator into the Solyndra bankruptcy, Stearns has called for Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to be fired.
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