Troy King to Riley: "I told you so"

Attorney General Troy King has lashed out at Gov. Bob Riley again in their ongoing dispute over whether King should have filed a lawsuit against BP and other companies alleged to be responsible for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Riley has been critical of the third party claims system set up by the federal government and BP and administered by Kenneth Feinberg. Riley has said the claims process amounts to "extortion."

"Governor Riley's statement is an admission of what I have told the governor and the public for months; that BP and their multimillion dollar shill, Ken Feinberg, have intended from day one to deceive and exploit Alabamians who have been victimized in order to protect BP and their partners from accountability for their actions," King said in a statement. "If the governor wants to find the real culprit, the person who ran interference for BP, who enabled and encouraged BP and Feinberg in their exploitation and extortion, he need look no further than the nearest mirror. I said it before, and I will say it again; BP easily used Alabama's governor at the expense of Alabama's citizens. Any right thinking person can no longer question that. The only question left unanswered, is why did the governor allow it?"

King sued BP and the other companies. Riley has criticized the move and said the state should negotiate and try to secure as much money as possible, and then sue if the payouts are not sufficient.

Riley and BP officials have said the lawsuit has hindered negotiations.

King has repeatedly said BP is not negotiating in good faith.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Photos from Southern Governors' Association II

Photos from Southern Governors' Association in Hoover, August 2010






Photos of (from left) Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the $20 billion BP claims fund; Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama; and retired Adm. Thad Allen, national incident commander for the spill


-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen

Southern governors, top administration and oil spill response officials to meet in Alabama

Governors from throughout the region, a top Obama administration official, the incoming head of BP and key figures in responding to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will converge on Alabama later this month.
The annual meeting of the Southern Governors' Association will be at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort just outside of Birmingham in Hoover from Aug. 27 through Aug. 30.
Gov. Bob Riley, the chairman of the association, announced the conference would be in Alabama on Tuesday.
The key topics will be the economy of the South and the oil spill in the Gulf.
Participants are expected to include: Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Obama; Navy Secretary and Gulf Coast recovery chief Ray Mabus; and Wilma Lewis, assistant secretary for Lands and Mineral Management with the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander for the spill, has not confirmed, according to the governor's office, but has indicated he will attend.
Bob Dudley, the incoming chief executive officer of BP, and Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the oil spill compensation fund, are scheduled to appear at the meeting for a panel discussion on Gulf Coast recovery.
Riley said southern governors, four of which have states directly affected by the spill, must play a leading role in dealing with issues surrounding why the oil spill occurred and what must be done to restore and enhance the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast.
"We have a responsibility to use this year's annual meeting as a platform for a constructive conversation with key leaders within the oil industry, as well as with state and federal decision makers," Riley said in a statement.
He said the panels will be enlightening and productive with the participation of White House officials and BP.
The association includes governors from 18 states and territories in a region that spans from Texas to Maryland.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen