Documents previously revealed that DeGiorgio authorized a design revision that fixed the defect but left the part number unchanged, an apparent violation of protocol that hampered later inquiries.
The engineer also testified last year in a civil wrongful-death lawsuit that he did not recall authorizing any change to the ignition switch.
House legislators attempted to get to the bottom of the issue, questioning DeGiorgio to determine if he was part of an intentional cover-up or if the missteps were merely mistakes.
“He came across as if he was just overburdened and just missed it,” an unnamed staff aide told the New York Times.
The engineer, who reportedly appeared “genuinely upset” about the deaths caused by the defect, was recently suspended as GM continues its own internal investigation.
DeGiorgio reportedly declined to throw any of his superiors under the bus, however separate reports have suggested the problem is an unsurprising consequence of a culture of cost cutting that was allegedly enforced throughout the ranks.
GM has reorganized its engineering division to help prevent similar mistakes from occurring in the future, splitting off an “integrity” unit that works alongside the core development team under separate leadership.
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