DOT Revolving Door Continues – Corruption at NHTSA Continues – And Deaths Will Continue


DOT Revolving Door Continues – Corruption at NHTSA Continues – And Deaths Will Continue

October, 2015

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The NY Times carries AP report that former Clinton Administration DOT Secretary Rodney Slater has been appointed by NHTSA to “monitor” Fiat Chrysler.

DETROIT — A former transportation secretary turned lobbyist selected by the government to monitor the recall of millions of Fiat Chrysler vehicles also represents an air bag maker responsible for millions of recalled vehicles.

Rodney Slater, who ran the Transportation Department for four years under President Bill Clinton, has been lobbying the department and Congress on behalf of Takata Corp. of Japan regarding air bag issues, lobbying records reviewed by The Associated Press show.

Takata’s air bag inflators can explode too forcefully, firing shrapnel into the passenger compartment. They’re linked to eight deaths and have led to the recall of tens of millions of vehicles, including 4 million made by Fiat Chrysler.

Fiat Chrysler, also known as FCA, is under an order from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to hire an independent monitor to oversee the company’s recalls in response to misbehavior involving 23 recalls. The safety administration selected Slater from a list of three candidates supplied by Fiat Chrysler. The decision was announced by the automaker on Friday.

Gordon Trowbridge, a spokesman for NHTSA, said Slater had disclosed his representation of Takata. “The company and NHTSA both examined that and determined that for the purpose of monitoring Fiat Chrysler’s compliance with the consent order that it was not a conflict of interest,” Trowbridge said….

Safety advocates say Slater’s representation of Takata is a clear conflict of interest.

“You can’t have someone overlooking their recalls that also represents a company that makes defective parts,” said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety. “You can’t have someone who has two masters, and Slater has two masters.”

Joan Claybrook, who headed the traffic safety administration under President Jimmy Carter, said she strongly disagreed with NHTSA’s decision to appoint Slater.

“Chrysler has hired Slater because they want a yes man,” said Joan Claybrook, a safety advocate. “This completely undercuts the important work NHTSA has done in showing Chrysler has violated safety recall rules. There is a clear need for an independent monitor.”

See https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/business/uaw-fiat-chrysler-union-contract-workers.html

In December 2014, I reported about Takata hiring 3 former Secretaries of DOT and warned:

“So these former Secretaries of Transportation who often said “Safety” is their number 1 priority will now be paid how much, for what, and why?

America we have a safety problem in more ways than one!”   See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog-takatahiresdot.php

 
The deaths and injuries and pain and suffering will continue until the corruption is stopped – at the highest levels of government and corporations.
Lou

 

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