Well before the disaster, Obama was making encouraging noises to the oil industry about permits for exploratory wells in new areas of the Gulf – as the White House sought to bolster the US's energy security and win over political support from Republicans for other bills. Given that the government is fighting this case, no one has brought up one of the major reasons this tragedy occurred in the first place: the Obama administration turned a blind eye to the massive risks BP was undertaking in the Gulf and handed it a free pass to drill. Legal experts have called the case a "bloodbath" that BP should stop.
Former boss Tony Hayward and current executives have been grilled repeatedly about whether massive cost reductions led to the tragedy, as corners were cut. Told the plaintiffs had no further questions last week, he replied: "How many lawyers did it take to decide that?" But even he seems to fear this one will run over its three-month allotment.Įvery day brings more coverage of the oil giant's behavior as lawyers try to prove "gross negligence" – a charge that would almost quadruple BP's eventual likely fine. Lawyers, once more, look set to be the only winners.īarbier marshals the courtroom with amused authority. Now, the court is packed with 11 teams of lawyers representing BP, contractors Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron, five Gulf states and the US Justice Department.
Judge Carl Barbier started hearing a case that many thought would never come to trial after settlement talks appeared to collapse. Washington has long been a fan of the petro-dollar and Obama is proving another fickle enthusiast, flirting with the industry one moment, even as he snaps at it the next – like the coquettish mistress of an oil tycoon. There's little doubting BP should get the biggest share, but as the trial gets into full swing, some of the disaster's major players are getting a free pass: Washington in general, the Obama administration in particular, and us. This trial is meant to determine, once and for all, who bears the most blame for what went wrong.
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