Litigation

Groups Ask Judge to Disclose Energy Interests

By Peter Hardin

Environmental groups are asking in court for a federal judge, who lifted the Obama administration?s moratorium on new deepwater drilling, to declare whether he still owns interests in energy and drilling service companies.

A Politico article said a motion was filed Wednesday by Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, Florida Wildlife Federation, and the Center for Biological Diversity that asked the following:

“Defendant-Intervenors respectfully request that the Court release information sufficient to determine if Judge Feldman ‘has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding, or any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding.’”

Judge Feldman’s interests in offshore drilling companies, according to disclosure forms from 2008,  were discussed in an earlier Gavel Grab post. According to the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog, “the blogosphere is buzzing” with the question of whether Judge Feldman should have recused himself from considering the moratorium challenge.

An Associated Press article said Judge Feldman reported holding less than $15,000 in stock in Transocean Ltd. It owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The AP reported these other holdings:

“Feldman’s 2008 financial disclosure report…also showed investments in Ocean Energy, a Houston-based company, as well as Quicksilver Resources, Prospect Energy, Peabody Energy, Halliburton, Pengrowth Energy Trust, Atlas Energy Resources, Parker Drilling and others. Halliburton was also involved in the doomed Deepwater Horizon project.”

Tim Howard, a Northeastern University law professor, told AP that Judge Feldman’s legal thinking in the moratorium-lifting decision looked valid. The judge is an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, according to a National Law Journal profile which portrays him as a jurist with a stern reputation and a low reversal rate.

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 24, 2010 (boomark / email).