Judge denies BP request for White House oil spill emails

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Associated Press

Judge denies BP request for White House oil spill emails
Published: Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 6:00 PM
By The Associated Press

A federal magistrate refused Wednesday to order the White House to provide BP PLC with emails by a former top adviser to President Barack Obama about the administration's response to last summer's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

A lawyer for the oil giant had argued that emails by Carol Browner, Obama's former adviser on energy and climate matters, and three other officials in the Executive Office of the President could shed light on the White House's role in estimating the rate of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from the company's blown-out well.

But U.S. Magistrate Sally Shushan wrote that BP failed to show that it needed the White House's internal documents.

In a letter to Shushan, BP said it should be allowed to review the White House communications on the spill's flow rate because the data will help determine the company's financial liability.



Read more: http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/07/judge_denies_bp_request_for_wh.html

[aquart]

1. Good god, they want to blame us?

I hope they are eaten by angry sea beasts.

[24601]

2. The story doesn't say anything about blame. It's about finding

out what the White House know and when did it know it. It's been a valid question in any number of issues and for the President who promised the most transpatent administration ever, it should be no problem... unless of course there's something relevant to hide. After all, Obama has never misled or disappointed any of us, has he?

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[aquart]

5. Which I would believe if anyone but BP was asking.

What difference does it make to BP what the WH knew and when? BP knew immediately. Who was responsible? The WH or BP?

[boppers]

7. Here's what they're "hiding".

In the first few days, the WH was getting low-ball numbers from BP.

If BP can use those numbers as "official" numbers, they can claim they owe much less in fines.

1. BP lies about the magnitude of the leak.
2. WH republishes those lies in internal emails.
3. BP claims those lies were the truth, because the WH used the numbers in email.

[blueclown]

4. Doesn't this violate the Freedom of Information Act?

[Devil_Fish]

6. BP is not a U.S. citizen, but a foren entity that has commited ecocide. FOIA should only apply to

U.S.A. People. I think we the people should file a FOIA for this info, but BP can go to hell.