GM Dealer Arbitration Statement Retracted by GOP Leader

WASHINGTON - House Minority Leader John Boehner retracted a statement that a rejected General Motors dealership in Ohio prevailed in arbitration while sticking to his affirmation that the store would be reinstated, reported Automotive News.

Rep. Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a statement Monday that omitted the opening sentence of his earlier release that said he had been told by GM that Rose Chevrolet “has prevailed in arbitration with GM.”

However, the latest statement continued to maintain that GM told the House’s top Republican that Rose Chevrolet of Hamilton, Ohio, will “remain in business.”

Boehner’s new statement did little to clear up the dealership’s confusion.

The owner of Rose Chevrolet, Ed Larkin, said he hasn’t heard yet from GM or the arbitrator about the resolution of his case.

“If GM wants us to be part of the network, that’s what we want,” said Larkin, 39, whose family has owned the dealership since 1984. “But going back to last June, there have been some very peculiar, very strange things happening.”

Since the dealer arbitrations began in April, rarely has a congressman -- let alone a party leader -- gotten involved in an individual case. Instead, the arbitrators have been left to make their decisions, and GM and Chrysler Group have been allowed to pursue settlements or reinstatements as they saw fit.

Boehner stepped in last week after a courtesy call from GM in an attempt to have the dealership informed of what seemed to be favorable news as soon as possible. Instead, the dealership’s fate remains unclear.