Congress Tries To Tell GM Who To Fire - Do They Really Think They Have That Power?

General Motors has not done enough to overhaul its legal department in the wake of its recall crisis, several U.S. senators said today as they pressed GM CEO Mary Barra to fire the automaker’s top lawyer.

But Barra said she intended to keep Michael Millikin, GM’s general counsel since 2009, defending him as “a man of incredibly high integrity” whose subordinates failed him. At least five of the lawyers on Millikin’s staff are among the 15 employees GM fired in June after an internal probe into why the automaker delayed the recall of 2.6 million vehicles.

Millikin, 65, who testified alongside Barra, disclosed several new changes he has enacted, including hiring an outside law firm to review GM’s litigation practices and requiring that any lawsuits or trials involving deaths or serious injuries be brought to his attention for review.

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MattDarringer - 7/18/2014 10:53:23 AM

+2 Boost

Barra is botching this one. A full sweep of GM legal would be a public relations genius move.

Agent009 - 7/18/2014 11:31:39 AM

+3 Boost

Right now Congress has backed off of her.

She has her reasons to keep him and it is possible he knew nothing due to the way they were structured (I know hard to believe)

But in general she is smart enough to know she has carte blanch right now to clean it all up and start with a clean slate.

MattDarringer - 7/18/2014 2:03:33 PM

+1 Boost

Then fire everyone under him and have him create a new focus for GM legal. At the moment he sounds like a part of the cover up "I knew nothing. I was surprised. I learned about this when you learned about it." It's very "Obama" in the stupidity of the words.

Agent009 - 7/18/2014 3:01:17 PM

+1 Boost

The best way to cover it up, is to have someone that knows, keep it hidden.

Just saying.....

TomM - 7/18/2014 3:33:28 PM

0 Boost

Looking at the record of the Congress in who knew what and when - and in getting actual work done - I would consider their recommendations along with other crackpots who make all sorts of stupid remarks - ie - smile to their face. Bara did not cause the problem - was not in a position to need to know about the problem - and has done well in handling the problem. IF the FORMER make up of the various departments kept some things secret (and that happens in EVERY business) - firing people who were really not involved is worthless pandering - something she can avoid.

Mary Bara knows that in the end - it is making good vehicles that counts. She cannot turn back the clock and prevent the problem that happened already. So - fix the cars that have the problem - and move on with better communication. After all - it is not even Technically the same company now.

Agent009 - 7/18/2014 3:42:04 PM

+1 Boost

correct.. she simply needs to get the house in order and move forward. She has a rare opportunity to start with a clean slate

Dexter1 - 7/18/2014 10:59:18 PM

+2 Boost

This do-nothing Congress should look at themselves before trying to tell others who to fire.

mrcassis - 7/19/2014 11:32:01 PM

+1 Boost

What gives Congress a reason to think that they can make ANYbody do ANYthing???? They can't even get THEMSELVES to do anything!!

40flash - 7/22/2014 1:25:28 AM

+1 Boost

This is actually a constitutional issue. Where does it say that congress can meddle in a private company but why follow the Constitution now? Who is going to tell them they don't have the authority to tell anyone what they can do or not do. This administration has totally dismantled the balance of power that the geniuses who founded this country established. There is nothing in the founding documents that gives congress or anyone else the right to tell us what health care we can buy or not buy much less requiring free citizens to buy something. Are we ever going to return to the freedoms that made this country great or will we keep electing idiots that wish to destroy our freedoms?