The Valukas report on General Motors Co.’s defective ignition switches contained a mountain of harsh criticism for the company, but it is being called “an elaborate whitewash” by the activist Center for Auto Safety and other critics.

The report [PDF], by Jenner & Block’s Anton Valukas, blames the problem on several fired engineers, lawyers and midlevel managers rather than corporate leaders who remain on the job, the CAS said in a June 5 statement.