The top Republican on the Senate energy committee is requesting an ethics review into an Energy Department official in charge of issuing grants and loans over allegations his previous relationships with clients are influencing his decision-making.

In a letter to the agency’s designated ethics official, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) expressed his concerns with Loan Programs Office Director Jigar Shah and his ties with the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable, a trade association he founded, calling it a “concerning relationship” in light of a $3 billion loan approval to a company that shares a board member with the organization.

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Shah, a former clean energy entrepreneur, founded Cleantech Leaders Roundtable as a private networking group of climate technology leaders in 2017, before he was appointed to his position by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in 2021. In September, the Energy Department approved a loan to solar energy company Sunnova, a group that shares a board member with the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable, Anne Slaughter Andrew.

“Such intertwining of personal, political, and professional relationships raises further questions about the impartiality of loan approvals and the susceptibility of the process to undue political influence,” Barrasso wrote.

The letter also noted the fact that Andrew is married to the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Joe Andrew.

Along with an ethics review, the letter asked for a thorough examination of Shah’s adherence to the Biden administration’s ethics pledge, which bans agency appointees from participating in matters that involve parties related to employees or clients for a period of two years after the date of their appointment. The letter also asked for clarification on whether Shah has faced any recusal concerns dealing with the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable or related entities during his tenure at DOE or any internal complaints.

Barrasso questioned Shah during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing last month, claiming that the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable acts as a “gatekeeper” for companies requesting financial assistance and grants “special access” to Shah — allegations outlined in a report from the Washington Free Beacon.

During the hearing, Barrasso asked whether Shah would commit to refraining from associating with the trade association for the rest of his tenure at the DOE, to which Shah said he had “no role to play whatsoever in choosing who gets a loan.” Instead, he said that lending decisions have been delegated to a portfolio risk management group and federal staff.

This latest letter also stands on previous efforts Barrasso has initiated to investigate Shah, including a joint letter with Wyoming Republican and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), where the two inquired into his relationship with the trade organization following his appointment within the DOE.

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The deadline for a response to Barrasso’s request is Nov. 21.

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment.