Mississippi electric car-maker misses jobs target

Mississippi electric car-maker misses jobs target

2016/05/16 1:37pm

Mississippi officials say they're renegotiating an incentive agreement with GreenTech Automotive after the electric car maker failed to hire enough workers. Tunica County officials have also failed to grant agreed-on property tax breaks.

Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the Mississippi Development Authority, says GreenTech hasn't hired the 350 employees it pledged. Mississippi loaned GreenTech $3 million, and the first payment of more than $150,000 is due June 30. MDA also loaned Tunica County $1.9 million to buy the site.

GreenTech has raised money from Chinese people who can obtain U.S. residency by investing $500,000.

A 2015 report found that a top Homeland Security official broke ethics rules when he aided GreenTech's visas. Among company insiders then were Terry McAuliffe, now Democratic governor of Virginia, and Hugh Rodham, Hillary Clinton's brother.