In a bid to stay alive, Solyndra LLC hired a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm just weeks before it collapsed.

The solar company never paid the firm, Glover Park Group LLC, for $20,000 worth of work, according to Joel Johnson, a managing director at Glover Park.

"They were struggling to stay alive," said Craig Holman, who tracks lobbying for Public Citizen, a nonprofit based in Washington. "This is where lobbyists come into play."

Solyndra filed for bankruptcy protection on Sept. 6, failing to repay a $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Energy Department.

According to a filing with the Senate, two Glover Park lobbyists introduced Solyndra executives to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which was investigating the company. Glover Park's Catharine Cyr Ransom is a former aide to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), and Gregg Rothschild is a former Democratic counsel for the House energy committee.

Solyndra ended its contract with Glover Park less than two weeks before it filed for bankruptcy. Johnson said his company is not seeking compensation from Solyndra.

Since 2009, Solyndra has hired six lobbyists, including Glover Park, spending at least $1.3 million on loan guarantee issues and policies in favor of solar power. It spent $480,000 on lobbying in the first half of this year (Jim Snyder, Bloomberg, Oct. 21). -- AP