Economy
BP Plc and others must 'pay Alabama what they owe' |
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| Economy | |
| Written by Gary Howes | |
| Tuesday, 17 August 2010 | |
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Alabama Attorney General right to sue BP says candidate for Governor.
BP Plc (LON:BP) and the other companies implicated in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill must pay the state of Alabama for their failings. Democratic nominee Ron Sparks said people were tired of waiting for someone to hold BP accountable and the Republican attorney general should be commended for filing federal court suits last week against BP and other companies involved in the spill. "These companies must pay Alabama what they owe, and they will do everything they can to escape liability," he said. Republican nominee Robert Bentley said BP and the federal government failed Alabama citizens. "It is the right of the Alabama attorney general to file this lawsuit against BP," he said. King went to court Thursday against the wishes of Republican Gov. Bob Riley, who originally appointed King in 2004. The two have been sharply at odds during the past year, particularly over Riley's task force raids and threats against electronic bingo casinos. King was defeated for re-election in the Republican primary and leaves office in January. Riley finishes his second term and also leaves office in January. Riley called the suits premature because Alabama has not yet presented BP with a bill for the spill's impact on the state and has not yet tried to negotiate a settlement. He announced earlier that he will seek full compensation for all lost tax revenue due to the spill. King said swift action was needed because BP repeatedly broke promises and was working to gain an advantage in court by hiring the best expert witnesses to keep them from testifying against the company. King has been talking to private attorneys about helping his office with the suits. They would work on a contingency fee that would pay them 14 percent of the money the state receives from the suits. In response to King's plans, Riley signed an executive order saying the governor will approve a contract for hiring attorneys on a contingency fee only in extraordinary circumstances when it is the only reasonable form of payment.
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