(Politico) — Solyndra’s top executive strategized with the Obama administration in October 2010 as the California solar company prepared to shut down an older plant and lay off nearly 200 employees, new internal emails released Wednesday show.

CEO and President Brian Harrison flagged the company’s bad news to a top DOE loan guarantee official in an Oct. 25, 2010, email. The warning worked its way up the chain of command, ultimately reaching President Barack Obama’s top energy and climate adviser, Carol Browner.

“The reason for this note is to make you aware that Solyndra has received some press inquiries about rumors of problems (one of them with quite accurate information) and we have received in-bound calls from potential financial investors,” Harrison wrote to Frances Nwachuku, the director of the portfolio management at DOE. “Both of these data points indicate the story is starting to leak outside Solyndra.”

“It is our view inside Solyndra that while not desirable from DOE perspective we need to internally announce to employees and with one selected press member on Thursday of this week, October 28,” Harrison added. “It is our belief that is better for all parties to get in front of the story and control the messaging rather than get behind the story and on the defensive. So, I would like to go forward with the internal communication on Thursday, October 28. There will be no mention of the DOE.”