900 pages of Solyndra records not enough

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- House Republicans in a letter to the White House said U.S. President Barack Obama is hiding troubling issues related to the loan to a solar panel company.

Republicans in the House of Representatives said the bankruptcy of solar panel company Solyndra, recipient of a $535 million federal loan guarantee, was likely the "tip of the iceberg" of problems tied to Obama's green energy initiative.

Obama touted Solyndra as a centerpiece of his alternative energy plans for the country. The company's offices were raided by the FBI since the bankruptcy and its executives refused to answer questions before a House committee.

U.S. Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House energy and commerce committee, and Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., chairman of an investigative subcommittee, said White House lawyers refused to hand over internal documents regarding Solyndra. This, they said in a statement, suggests the Obama administration has something to hide.

"American taxpayers who now find themselves on the hook for a half billion dollars because of this administration's unrelenting support for Solyndra deserve answers," they said.

A letter from White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler states the administration has handed over more than 900 pages of documents related to Solyndra.

"Your most recent request for internal White House communications, from the first day of the administration to the present, implicates a longstanding and significant institutional Executive Branch confidentiality interests," her letter read.