Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has provided a valuable service for America by revealing a potential pay-to-play scheme involving Joe Biden’s “$400 billion Man” during a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday.
Jigar Shah, who holds a position at the Energy Department’s loan program, was caught off guard and unable to respond when Hawley pointed out how he had been attending pay-to-play dinners with executives from the energy industry. The Missouri Senator also noted that these individuals were likely paying to have access to Shah, which he initially denied but then struggled to explain when asked again.
Hawley: Mr. Shah, I just want to follow up, I didn’t understand your answer to the ranking member…so you do attend dinners with industry leaders where they pay to hear you speak? Is that a yes or a no question?
Shah: No, I, uh, attend many, many events some of which I am invited to speak at…
Hawley: And they don’t pay?
Shah: And many don’t pay and some are like paid conferences and others but one of the things…
Did you see that? He admitted that some of the events are pay-to-attend. He thought he could slip that one in there, but Hawley caught it.
Hawley: Wait, that was a yes and a no so let’s just go back. Do you attend events where people pay to hear you speak?
Shah: I have attended where people pay to attend the event.
Hawley: Do you think that is a good idea?
Shah: I think it’s important for us to meet potential applicants, American innovators and entrepreneurs who want to scale up their technologies…
Hawley: Applicants for loan programs?
Shah: Applicants for DOE funding (so, yes).
Hawley: Wait a minute. You think it’s a good idea to go to events where people are trying to get federal money to see you?
Shah: They’re not paying to see me.
Hawley: I though you just said just spoke at events where people paid?
Shah: Not to see me. I’m not that important (laughs nervously).
(audience laughs)
Hawley (flabbergasted): Wow. You learn new things everyday. What’s your title? You’re the director of what?
Shah: Of the (DOE’s) loan program’s office.
Hawley: You’re the director of the loan program’s office for the federal government at the Department of Energy. People who want to get loans from the government are paying to see you and you think that’s fine?
Shah: (left completely speechless).
Hawley: That’s not a rhetorical question.
Crickets…
In July, Team Biden touted this official as the “$400 billion man” – but today he testified that he’s so unimportant it is fine for him to go to pay-to-play dinners with industry insiders pic.twitter.com/MUKG7yPs9f
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 19, 2023
I don’t know why Shah seems confused by the question. No one can be that stupid. This is clearly a pay-to-play scheme from Biden $400 billion man…