Another Controversy Over Hillary Clinton’s Time at the State Department

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did nothing to stop the sale of a Michigan battery company to a Chinese firm, despite making complaints about it on the campaign trail last month, the Detroit Free Press reported.

A123 Systems was sold to Wanxiang in early 2013. During a campaign stop in New Hampshire last month, Clinton raised concerns about the sale during a town hall meeting.

"That does concern me, because a lot of foreign companies, particularly Chinese companies ... are looking to buy American companies," said Clinton, the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told the Free Press that Clinton was just paying "lip service," since the State Department had a "role in signing off on these sales."

"She is not being honest with the American people about her record in this critical area of national security and economic policy," Priebus said.

The RNC filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the State Department asking for all records on the A123 Systems sale to Wanxiang Group.

Wanxiang, the Chinese company, bought A123 for $257 million after A123 went bankrupt when its biggest customer Fisker, an electric car company, had financial troubles. In January 2013, the government approved the sale.

Clinton's campaign told the newspaper she didn’t play any role in the review of the sale and referred questions to the State Department. The campaign said that Clinton "wants us to be the clean energy superpower for the 21st century, and that means out-competing countries like China so we can keep those jobs and companies here."

The Free Press reported that a review was never taken, and that when such reviews occur, about half of the sales do not take place, according to the Congressional Research Service. Several members of Michigan’s congressional delegation asked for a review.