Ernst Secures Investigation into $15M of U.S. Taxpayer-Funded Technology Given to Communist China

WASHINGTON – Following reports of the illegal hand-off of groundbreaking technology to Communist China by the Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the Senate’s biggest foe of government waste and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, successfully prompted the DOE’s Office of Inspector General to conduct a thorough review into the matter.

Last month, Ernst joined her colleague Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), in a letter to DOE Inspector General Teri Donaldson demanding answers on a report from August that showed the DOE illegally sent $15 million of taxpayer-funded advanced battery technology to Communist China and revealed the agency’s resistance to issuing battery licenses to American companies. Their concerns prompted a swift answer from the IG’S office, in which they agreed to conduct a review. 

“Taxpayers spent millions of dollars to develop cutting edge technology that the DOE then gave to Communist China. This was a major breach of national security by the federal government,” said Ernst. “I look forward to answers on how and why this unlawful transfer occurred. We have to ensure this never happens again.”

You can read the DOE’s response letter here.

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