Former U.S. transportation chief Slater picked to monitor FCA safety efforts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tabbed former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater as the independent monitor for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as part of the company’s agreement to improve how it monitors recall and safety issues.

Since July, FCA has been operating under a consent decree with federal auto safety regulators stemming from a NHTSA probe into violations involving 23 safety recalls since 2009. Under the pact, FCA pledged a revamp of its recall and defect practices and agreed to hire an independent monitor with broad authority to hire staff and investigate safety issues.

“After an independent evaluation by NHTSA, former Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater will serve as the independent monitor under NHTSA’s consent order with FCA U.S.,” said NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement Friday afternoon.

“In this role, Secretary Slater will have an important role in helping NHTSA oversee FCA’s compliance with the consent order and helping the company address the recall administration issues that necessitated NHTSA’s enforcement action. Secretary Slater will work with a team of attorneys to carry out these significant responsibilities. I welcome his assistance in NHTSA’s continuing efforts to protect American consumers from safety defects.”

FCA, in a statement today, said it submitted three names, including Slater's, to NHTSA for approval. 

NHTSA informed FCA in late July that an internal investigation revealed that the company had under-reported claims and notices of deaths and injuries to the agency.

FCA and regulators agreed to a $105 million penalty stemming from the probe into safety recall violations.

Slater served as Secretary of Transportation from 1997-2001, after being nominated by then-President Clinton. He is currently a partner in the Squire Patton Boggs law firm in Washington, D.C., FCA said in a statement.

Ryan Beene contributed to this report