Ken Feinberg tells judge to keep out of the oil spill claims fund process.

madfloridian

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Wed Apr-13-11 04:58 PM
Original message

Ken Feinberg tells judge to keep out of the oil spill claims fund process.

Edited on Wed Apr-13-11 05:00 PM by madfloridian

This sounds like Feinberg and his lawyer are telling the judge not to interfere in the process of filling claims.

That's pretty nervy.

Feinberg Tells Judge to Stay Out of BP Oil Spill Claims Fund

Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of BP Plc (BP/)’s $20 billion spill-claims fund, told the U.S. judge in charge of hundreds of oil spill damages lawsuits that he shouldn’t -- and legally can’t -- take charge of the claims- payment process.

The attorneys general of four Gulf Coast states had asked U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans to monitor Feinberg to ensure fair and prompt payment of thousands of oil spill damage claims, as required by law. On April 7, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood asked Barbier to intervene, conduct an independent audit of Feinberg’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility and hold public hearings on the findings.

...“The court does not have the power under the Oil Pollution Act to impose upon the GCCF the monitoring sought by the attorney general,’’ David Pitofsky, Feinberg’s lawyer, said in court papers filed today.

“Even if it did" have legal authority, imposing the court’s supervision over Feinberg’s fund would divert resources and “chill the ability of GCCF personnel to work expeditiously without fear of running afoul of an independent auditor and a court-imposed evidentiary hearing," Pitofsky said.

They don't want the judge to have the ability to hamper the Gulf claims folks. Seems they want to work without fear of oversight....that's what it sounds like to me.

Seems to me Feinberg needs some supervision in this claims process, considering he is paid a large sum every month by BP, and he just got a huge raise.

Feinberg Gets $400,000 Raise

The man in charge of paying oil spill claims is now getting $1.25 million a month from BP.

PASCAGOULA, Miss - Documents provided by the administrator of BP's claims fund for Gulf oil spill victims show the oil giant agreed to increase his law firm's monthly compensation from $850,000 to $1.25 million.

Last week, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange accused Feinberg of dragging his feet until victims are so desperate they will settle for anything. Feinberg called those claims unfounded.

The documents furnished to The Associated Press include a letter from former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to claims czar Kenneth Feinberg. Mukasey stated his belief that the extra money was warranted because Feinberg's duties had grown.

This fellow needs watching. He recently told some foreign press that he could not pay 80% of the remaining claims, implying they were not done correctly.

Ken Feinberg tells foreign journalists he can't pay 80% of the remaining Gulf claims..100,000 claims

Gulf Coast Claims Administrator Kenneth Feinberg told a group of foreign journalists yesterday that close to 100,000 claims submitted as a result of the BP oil spill "lack proof."United Press International reported today Feinberg's statement that he cannot pay "80 percent of the remaining 130,000 claims because they lack adequate documentation."

"The claims that were denied had woeful, inadequate or no documentation to speak of," Feinberg is quoted as saying.

The GCCF has come under heavy scrutiny from all parties. Currently state attorneys general and plaintiffs attorneys are arguing that the GCCF is in violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Recently, Alabama, Mississippi Florida and Louisiana all filed memos criticizing Feinberg and the GCCF.

Here is more on what Judge Barbier said in the ruling earlier. They simply lecture and defy him it seems.

US District Judge Carl Barbier said he was ordering BP, Mr Feinberg and any of their agents to change the way they communicated with people seeking money from the fund. Judge Barbier said Mr Feinberg must clearly disclose in all communications that he was acting for and on behalf of BP in fulfilling its obligations as the responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act.

The judge stopped short of ordering changes to a release form that people who accept final payments from the fund must sign. He asked lawyers to submit additional briefs to the court on that, as well as address the question of whether BP was complying fully with the law in the processing of claims.

..."Lead lawyers in hundreds of claims filed over last year's Gulf Of Mexico rig explosion and massive oil spill had asked Judge Barbier to intervene in the communications between Mr Feinberg and fund claimants. The attorney generals in Mississippi and Louisiana have backed the motion and Florida joined in on Wednesday.

Feinberg should have had someone giving him oversight, he should not have just been turned loose on the Gulf States like that.

Seems like his arrogance is showing up now, more than before.