Maker of GM ignition switches stymies investigation

One of General Motors’ most critical suppliers, maker of the ignition switches at the heart of GM’s ongoing crisis, refused to cooperate with an investigation into the matter, the man who led the inquiry told Congress last week.

Delphi Automotive — which produced the GM-designed part at a plant in Mexico — refused full access to its employees, former U.S. prosecutor Anton Valukas told a House subcommittee.

Valukas’ law firm, Jenner & Block, at the request of GM, reviewed more than 40 million pages of records and interviewed 230 witnesses. Valukas wrote in a 325-page GM report that he received “unfettered” access to GM documents and employees.

That was not the case with Delphi.

“We made requests from them from the very beginning for access to any and all documents relating to this matter,” Valukas testified. “What they produced to us were a limited number of documents.”

A Delphi spokeswoman did not respond to a request seeking comment. The Troy, Mich.-based company also did not respond to a request earlier this month following the release of the Valukas report.

U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., asked Valukas whether Congress should issue a subpoena seeking certain records from Delphi. Valukas declined to offer an opinion.

What’s clear, he said, is that Delphi knew GM approved the production of a part that did not meet its specifications.

And records disclosed by Congress show that Delphi also knew GM ignition-switch engineer Ray DeGiorgio quietly approved a change to the part in April 2006.

DeGiorgio, who was fired earlier this month, did not reveal the part change to other GM employees and did not change the part number, creating confusion years later when GM investigators tried to identify the problem.

Maker of GM ignition switches stymies investigation