In a fiery exchange during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) called on Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to resign after accusing her of violating the STOCK Act and failing to disclose her ownership of stocks in six U.S. companies.
The tense back-and-forth occurred during Granholm’s appearance before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where she was questioned about her previous failure to disclose her stocks. Senator Hawley wasted no time in calling out the Energy Secretary for her blatant disregard of the law.
Hawley pointed out that in April 2023, Granholm had stated that she did not own any individual stocks, yet in June, she admitted to owning shares in six undisclosed companies. This clearly violates the 2012 STOCK Act, which requires members of Congress and high-level government officials to disclose their stock trades within 45 days.
To make matters worse, Granholm’s husband also held shares in Ford Motor Company at the time of her testimony. This raises even more questions about potential conflicts of interest and insider trading.
Despite her initial denial, Granholm eventually corrected her testimony and claimed she had divested from the stocks on May 18. But as Hawley pointedly asked during the hearing, why did she wait months before taking any action?
The Energy Secretary’s weak defense of “I believed I had sold all individual stocks” is unacceptable. It is outrageous and unacceptable that a high-level government official would mislead a Senate committee and the American people.
Yet, instead of taking responsibility for her actions, Granholm had the audacity to accuse Hawley of implying that she “hid” her stock ownership. The left employs this tactic when they are caught in a lie—deflecting the blame onto others.
Granholm’s record is a disaster. She oversees Energy Department officials trading stocks. She lied about her own stock ownership. And she’s going to conferences funded by foreign billionaires and their dark money.
She has got to go. pic.twitter.com/WpLV0Nn761
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 16, 2024
But the American people are not fooled. This is just another example of the rampant corruption and blatant disregard for the law that has become all too common in the Biden administration.
Senator Hawley was right to demand Granholm’s resignation. It’s time for the Biden administration to act and hold its officials accountable for their actions.
Who really runs the Energy Department? Granholm? Or the mega-corporations whose stock she owns? Or is it the foreign billionaires who fund her conferences with dark money pic.twitter.com/DyEa5ZjOMV
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 16, 2024
As Senate Republicans continue to push for transparency and accountability, we must keep a close eye on the actions of officials like Jennifer Granholm.
