Dispute heats up over BP’s $20B oil-spill fund

[Rage for Order]

Source: Associated Press

The administrator of BP’s $20 billion oil-spill fund says Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood could undermine the claims process by urging a court to intervene and by making allegations that border on defamation. Hood called those statements, made Tuesday in a court filing in Louisiana, “surreal.” Hood said he just wants the fund’s administrator, Washington lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, to make the process more transparent so people will know if he’s looking out for oil spill victims or for BP.

The dispute heated up after Feinberg’s lawyers filed the 12-page motion Tuesday in federal court in Louisiana. It accuses Hood of making “unsupported and damaging assertions” about the claims process. Feinberg was responding to documents Hood has filed that ask the court to audit the claims process.

Hood said Wednesday he believes Feinberg’s claims facility is intentionally delaying and denying legitimate claims to force people to take the so-called quick- pay option. Quick pay gives people $5,000 and businesses $25,000. They are required to sign a waiver that they won’t sue and won’t seek more money from the claims facility. Feinberg said 110,000 people in Mississippi and other states have taken that option.

Feinberg’s court filing was in response to a motion Hood filed in a mass case that combines dozens of oil spill lawsuits. In the motion, Hood urged the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana to audit the claims process. He also criticized BP for raising pay for Feinberg’s law firm from $850,000 a month to $1.25 million. Hood’s motion said the pay raise “speaks volumes about what services that BP requires Mr. Feinberg to perform.”







Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/04/13/3026292/dispute-heats-up-over-bps-20b.html

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What is Feinberg afraid of? Why would he accuse Mississippi's Attorney General of defamation for asking a federal judge to audit the BP oil spill fund? How much additional money does Feinberg stand to gain from BP if he can keep the payouts low? I wouldn't be durprised to learn that BP offered Feinberg 10% of any money left over from the $20 billion after all claims were resolved. And why did Feinberg need a 50% raise, from $850,000 to $1,250,000? Let the sunshine in Feinberg.

[Corruption Winz]

1. Unbelievable..

So, you simply ask a judge to make sure that all is squared up, and you're sued. Brilliant. I just hope this doesn't work.

[Scuba]

2. I have yet to hear of Feinberg doing ANYTHING to help ordinary People....

...who were harmed by BP negligence.....

...if someone can provide some concrete examples, great.

Otherwise, this guy should be replaced.

[CrossChris]

3. You don't think that's exactly why he was put there in the first place?

What's anyone really going to do about it?