Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
4/24/2015

A Congressional hearing could be on tap on former Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Poneman’s new position as CEO of uranium enrichment firm Centrus Energy Corp., House Oversight and Government Reform Interior Subcommittee Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said this week. The House panel launched a probe in late March questioning whether Poneman complied with ethics guidelines and federal conflict-of-interest laws, requesting a host of records from DOE by April 10. DOE so far has not provided the documents, Lummis said, though Centrus has responded to the request. “We are still gathering information in that regard, so that might generate additional questions that may be appropriate for a hearing. So we are just in wait and see mode for that,” Lummis told reporters following a hearing.

Centrus, which under its previous name USEC received substantial support from the Department of Energy, announced Poneman would serve as its new CEO and president in early March. That move sparked questions from numerous lawmakers about his new role, and Lummis and House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) subsequently requested all documents and correspondence between Poneman and Centrus during his five-year stint at DOE, as well as documents and communications from other DOE employees related to employment at USEC or Centrus. DOE “is in receipt of the Committee’s request and plans to respond soon,” a DOE spokesperson said this week.

The lawmakers outlined their concerns in a March 30 letter to DOE. “Given Mr. Poneman’s involvement in the numerous dealings between DOE and USEC since 2009, we are concerned that he may have violated post-employment laws for federal personnel, including restrictions that require senior government officials to report when they are seeking private employment, and to recuse themselves from matters with a direct effect on the financial interests of that potential private employer,” the letter states.

Centrus: No Contact With Poneman About Job During Employment at DOE

Centrus has maintained that Poneman had no contact with the company while at DOE. “Centrus sent a letter on April 10 to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform responding to the Committee’s March 30 letter. At all times, Mr. Poneman and the company have fully complied with all applicable post-employment restrictions and government ethics requirements and will continue to do so in the future. The company looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Committee’s inquiry,” company spokesman Jeremy Derryberry said this week.