The Supreme Court refused to hear a BP executive’s appeal on Monday. The appeal aimed at defying an accusation concerning the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion.
"Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit on fire 2010" by Unknown - US Coast Guard
David Rainey was personally charged of not telling the truth to Congress about the seriousness of the oil spill after the accident. The false testimony was claimed to have prevented the justice. The sworn statement was presented to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subpanel several weeks after the occurrence of the spill.
Rainey who was the previousBP’s vice president for exploration, stated his opinion that the accusation should be removed because of the federal prosecutors’ failing to observe the deadline of the district court’s decision appeal. The latter had overthrown the accusation. Additionally he was also accused of false testimony to law enforcement officers and that charge was not subject to the appeal of the Supreme Court. He was found not guilty to all the charges. In June, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Rainey’s accusation case could proceed. That in fact turned away the ruling of the district court. The decision can remain firm because of the Monday’s ruling of the Supreme Court.
Currently BP was appealing in Louisiana’s federal court concerning its corporate obligation in the case. The explosion and spill had the cost of $4.5 billion in fines and penalties for the company. Additionally the company would have to pay $13.7 billion for Clean Water Act legal punishments.