What do you do if you’re an energy company and need a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the White House? You hire one of Joe Biden’s former chiefs of staff as a lobbyist to take you into the White House to meet with Biden’s staff. Check out this morning’s story from The Wall Street Journal.

BrightSource Energy Won Their $1.6 Billion Loan From The Obama Administration “After An Intense Push In Early 2011 That Included Hiring A Former Chief Of Staff To Vice President Joe Biden To Lobby The Administration …” “The recipient of the Obama administration’s biggest loan guarantee for solar energy won federal money after an intense push in early 2011 that included hiring a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden to lobby the administration, according to federal records and people involved in the approval process.” (Alicia Mundy and Ryan Tracy, “Solar Firm’s Big Push For U.S. Loan,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/5/12)

BrightSource Hired Bernard Toon For A One-Month Lobbying Contract With One Purpose: Get Inside The White House And Get The Loan

BrightSource Hired Bernard Toon, Vice President Biden’s Former Chief Of Staff, To Lobby For It’s Loan Guarantee As Their Deadline Neared. “BrightSource spent more than $500,000 on lobbying in the third quarter of 2010 through the second quarter of 2011, according to federal records, on behalf of the loan program and its own loan. The records show that $40,000 of the BrightSource lobbying money went to Bernie Toon, who was chief of staff to Mr. Biden, then a U.S. senator, in the 1990s.” (Alicia Mundy and Ryan Tracy, “Solar Firm’s Big Push For U.S. Loan,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/5/12)

• Toon Registered To Lobby For BrightSource On March 6, 2009. See Toon’s Lobbying Registration Here

Just Days After Being Hired, Toon Went To The White House With Three BrightSource Executives And Met With Alan Hoffman, A Top Aide To VP Biden. “On March 9, 2011, just days after being hired, Mr. Toon went to the White House with three BrightSource executives, according to Senate and White House records. There he visited a former colleague, Alan Hoffman, now the top aide to Mr. Biden, whose office was working on green-energy programs, the records show. The White House didn’t make Mr. Hoffman available for comment.” (Alicia Mundy and Ryan Tracy, “Solar Firm’s Big Push For U.S. Loan,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/5/12)

• See The White House Meeting Records Here

“The Loan Was Approved April 5 And Mr. Toon’s Lobbying Contract Ended.” (Alicia Mundy and Ryan Tracy, “Solar Firm’s Big Push For U.S. Loan,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/5/12)

• Toon’s Contract Ended On April 6, 2011. See Toon’s Termination Report Here.