Agency run by Harkin’s wife gave millions in loans to Enron

A U-S Government Agency run by an Iowan made millions of dollars in contributions to the failed Enron company.Information released by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley shows the Overseas Private Investment Corporation gave 544-million dollars in loans to Enron under the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 2000. Ruth Harkin, the wife of Iowa’s other U-S Senator, Democrat Tom Harkin, was the President and C-E-O of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation during four of the years when the investments were made. Grassley, a republican, says a balance of over 453-million dollars remains on those loans. Grassley says there’s another 204-million dollars in exposure by the agency for political risk insurance projects involving Enron. Grassley requested the information as the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. He says the information shows the projects were a tremendous benefit to Enron’s operation.