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From NBC's Pete Williams
Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed today that a federal investigation began "some weeks ago" into whether criminal and civil laws were violated in the Gulf Oil spill.
Holder said the government is looking into whether a variety of federal laws were violated, from the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws to whether false statements were made to federal investigators and regulators.
"If we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will be very forceful in our response," Holder said.
He made no mention of an investigation during his prepared remarks at a news conference today. But asked by a reporter if one was underway, he said, "We have begun both a criminal and as well as a civil investigation as is our obligation under the law. Our environmental laws are very clear, and we have a responsibility to enforce them."
"There are federal charges that can include a wide range of things that have happened, everything from birds that have been harmed or killed, to the spill itself, and then with regard to the untimely and tragic deaths of those eleven rig workers," Holder said.
A senior Justice Department official said this does not mean that investigators have found any evidence that BP or the other companies involved in the spill willfully violated the law.
"The simple fact that there's oil in the Gulf is evidence of a crime," the official said.
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Then it shouldn't take long for some well deserved convictions. If this gets swept under the rug, it will be a huge mark on the current administration. We need to hear what the workers on the rig saw.
Hope this investigaiton leads back to Cheney and his closed door meetings with the Oil industry that led to hiring of people who are pro-oil. Also, we need to change the law capping the penalties BP can accrue to we the people will pay. The deregulation was done primarily under Republicans especially during the last administration. How does that Free Market work for you?
Hope that the investigations include those who de-regulated. Would be interesting to see Liz Cheny defending her dad. Investigating his involvement is not important enough for anything, but the Sestak deal is.
I too hope that the investigatation results in prison for those who falsified records or who did not properly regulate or inspect. The "little people" are held accountable all the time. It would be good for those in positions of power also be held accountable for their actions.
Perhaps we'd even learn who wrote the energy policy for the bush administration - it's been a well kept secret to this point. Doesn't the country have a right to know which corporations wrote the policy?
please.... still brining up the Bush years???? Obama needs to take full responsibility for doing nothing during the first 30 days of this disaster! No more excuses.... If the US can put a man on the moon, we sure can stop this oil leak! Enough of bringing up the Bush years...
Why not bring up the Bush years why not bring up the Reagan years they set the platform for big business. Cheney claimed executive privilege on his dealings, yet only executive privilege pertained to the president was he the president and he got away with it, why? Nobody took him to task, why you had a Rebuplican majority - who did he meet with and what was said? Free lunch and no consequences and by the way guys you can have Iraaq
Oh please...That get's so frustrating.. "still bringing up the bush years?"
Yea, please don't bring up the bush years...We are tired of you pointing out how the bush admin. totally screwed up everything even though it's completely true and applicable. No fair! Stop blaiming the guilty bush administration for being guilty! Waaa!
Wouldn't it be wise to step all resources to fix the spill? And then, cry foul. The Obama administration is so eager to cry and blame. Sheesh, the libs on this board immediately turn to the blame and sue game. Sorry, don't mean to stereotype, but that's so typical. If only they would put their energy into resolving the problem.
Ron, Indiana - I have to share my opinion pertaining to your post this morning.
No. It is not Chuck Todd's duty to respect the president. If he is a reporter, it is his duty to report the news. Except he's not a reporter.
If he's a journalist, it's his duty to write columns, usually with a personal or corporate bias. That's what he gets paid for. That's why you read him.
If he's a pundit or a talking head, it's his job to spout his opinion. Like you do. Like Hannity does. Like Olbermann, Matthews and Maddow. They get paid. That's their job. To opinionate.
If he is a reporter it is not only his job to report the news but also to question, maybe criticize, definitely hold accountable the people on whom he is reporting. That's the purpose of the free press. To investigate and question so that the powers that be are less likely to run amok.
I am very afraid you seriously think the job of the press is to support and bow to the President.
No. I do believe it's Chuck Todd's job to call his shots as he sees them.
Chuck, you're usually too far left for me, but I read your writings with respect. Keep up the good work.
Absolutely agree with you!
Yes, calling the shots as he sees them is fine with me. Name calling is not journalism.
I believe all Americans should respect the Office of the President. Don't you?
Have you called the president and told him the appropriate time to blame the guilty party? I mean, god knows, taking 1 minute during a speech or discussion about the oil spill to say "BP is to blame"...Well, that's another 554 gallons of BP oil (based on 19k barrels/day) that the president didn't cause to be spilled and that's another 554 gallons of BP oil that the president didn't swim a mile down to plug up with dick cheney's fat head. The president is blaming BP. Guess what? BP is to blame.
Stop blaming the president for blaming BP. I live in Mobile, AL and I certainly blame BP.
You can always tell when someone is lying about something they're claiming they have done. You can tell because the dont give specifics.
"Some weeks ago"???? Total BS if this was really happening he would be able to cite and actual date the investigation began, the fact that he didn't state the actual date the investigation means he is either very hands off in this (Which begs the question: Does he have something more important to work on?) Or this is just a cover to deflect criticism. (The more likely situation.)
"The simple fact that there's oil in the Gulf is evidence of a crime," the official said.
Hypothetical situation: There's an earthquake in the gulf so powerful that it causes a crack in the sea floor, oil then begins to seep out of said crack, is there a crime? Oil is present in the gulf so there must be a crime right? Who are you going to charge or blame for that?
Our leaders need to can the political posturing and figure out how to fix this, this should be the biggest priority, not a vacation, not "Don't ask don't tell", Not the Korean situation, or the Israeli situation. But protecting our own citizens. That's what the govt's job is, that's why these people exist.
If this were possible they wouldn't have to drill so far down to get to it. They went a mile deeper than their license to drill...
I agree that there is some political posturing going on, but there may have been multiple criminal acts as well. And that's what government is there for, to protect the rights of the citizens.
When BP,Trans Ocean and Haliburton are prosecuted with the same rigor that drug cartels,organized crime, and terrorists are prosecuted then America will see justice and oil companies will curtail their criminal practices.The IRS and DEA seize,confiscate and liquidate criminals assets every hour of every day.The oil companies and the politicians the bribe deserve the same treatment.The EPA needs to step up and do something.Revocation of all licenses and permits to drill and refine oil,and transport oil should be enforced right now.The only oil those three companies should be allowed to touch is the spilled oil.
Now this is what I've been waiting to hear. It's about time and executive privileges be damned. Under "normal" circumstances I'd agree with this Administrations stance on executive privileges; however in leiu of all that the Bush Administration did-- their deeds begs for justice. How does anyone expect citizens to abide by the laws of the land when the very people that we elect into office abuse the very laws that they "expect" us to abide by.
This Administration has been bombarded with crisis after crisis; yet MSM and pundits chose to overlook the "gross miscarriage's" of justice that has been committed by them. MSM continues to seek to divide and tear our nation down with spin and disingenuous commentary and parsing of events; while those events affect our everyday lives. We have a great president that's working to repair our nation and Party should be damned. We see and we know. Without us....you wouldn't have a job, it's time for media to act responsibly.
Good let's go where the facts take us. Personally I'd like to see all of BP's Senior Management plus the Bush appointees that issued BP the permits all sent down to the Gulf Coast to clean up this mess with their own hands. Make them a chain gang ala "Cool Hand Luke". "Hayward!! How did YOUR DIRT wind up in THIS DITCH ?"
Boy do I agree with you whole heartedly, I guess Obama should have put on his wet suit dove into the well and put his finger in it just like the little Dutch Boy and saved the world. What a Crock, how about holding this company for their arrogance, they knew the top kill wouldn't work but did it to show they were doing something, BS, also, the other side wells might not work. There were no contingency plans, when they pursued their greed. Arrogance, disregard for lives lost? Not one BP has said they are sorry for 13 lives lost
Absolutely. I really feel that BP knows they can't do a damn thing about this spill aside from trying to hit it with a relief well and they have been stringing the public along with one false attempt after another.
Pretty soon they will be running out of believable fraudulent attempts to stop the gusher and they will be down to "Don't worry! Don't worry. We have another solution and we give it a 70% chance of success. Our very own BP CEO will dress up in a clown suit, tie balloons to his ass and run around the BP HQ 19 times! We will have the results for you at the end of the week."
This is what the media should be reporting instead of slicing/dicing what the Pres has/has not should not done. This is fact, this is what people want to hear instead of opinion about whether or not the Pres is angry enough or flailing his arms wildly to show his anger.
Book 'em Dano! Time to put all the BP Oil Execs into those pretty bright orange prisoner jumpsuits and trade their jewelry for wrist and ankle shackles. The Gulf oil spill was corporate malfeasance at it's worst and now it's time to prosecute the BP Oil execs for their shameful shoddy work that has slimed the Gulf with so much oil. Wayward Hayward the CEO of BP Oil doesn't deserve to have his life back, the 11 men he killed on the rig won't ever get their lives back so why should he?
Talk about turning this disaster into a political tool. There's plenty of time to investigate; fix the damn thing first. Instead, time is going to be taken to "investigate". While Holder's at it, will he also be investigating at MMS? Will he be investigating why the pre-appoved NOAA plan for a burn in case of a spill was squashed? Who squashed it? How did MMS determine to give BP an award for outstanding work just a week before the spill?
I hope there's lots of hard, concrete evidence of the spill for Holder because he can't see his Black Panther thugs involved in voter intimidation on an upclose video.
Hey DINOS, read this BP --- BARACK PROGRESSIVES
You DINOS forgot one thin in name calling. Bush . How kind of you. Heheheh
BP-- Bush Petroleum or BP---- Barack Petroleum , which is worse? Answer........