General Motors CEO Mary Barra will find herself back in Washington, DC on July 17 as she once again faces a Senate subcommittee regarding the automaker’s recall for defective ignition switches, but this time she’ll be joined by CEO and president of Delphi Automotive, Rodney O’Neal.
Delphi is the supplier commissioned by General Motors who designed the defective switches. Up to this point, Delphi hasn’t publicly addressed the defective switch situation, although it’s known that GM accepted the switches even though they did not meet specifications while continuing to produce 2.6-million cars like the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion (and not any of the other cars subsequently recalled in the ensuing months). This is Delphi’s first time being called to a hearing for the switches, which is being framed as “Examining Accountability and Corporate Culture in the Wake of the GM Recalls.”
Also in attendance will be U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas. His firm was commissioned by General Motors to conduct an independent investigation into the warning signs missed by GM leading to the recall. Ken Feinberg, who was hired to handle the compensation fund for people injured or who had family members killed in the recalled vehicles, will also be present.
Records have shown that some at General Motors knew there were issues with the ignition switches years before the recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has already hit GM with a $35-million fine for not turning over this information when it was known from within.
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