Key Judge in Lousiana Fails to Recuse Himself—Should He be Impeached?

Key Judge in Lousiana Fails to Recuse Himself—Should He be Impeached?

By Kevin Stoda


According to Democracy Now and other national media, the judge who stopped the Obama’s Administration’s 6-month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico this week likely should have had to recuse himself before taking part in the case.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now stated, “A federal judge has rejected the latest attempt by the Obama administration to continue its six-month ban on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The White House imposed the ban last month as the BP oil spill spiraled into what many have called the worst environmental disaster in US history. On Thursday, US District Judge Martin Feldman refused to stay his June 22 order lifting the moratorium. A Reagan appointee, Feldman has extensive stock holdings in energy companies, including Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig where the explosion occurred, and Halliburton, which also performed work at the site. Feldman also owns stock in two of BP’s largest shareholders, BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase.”

The controversial injunction by Judge Felman can be read at this link.

http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/GENERAL/Notices/10-1663_doc67.pdf

Even FOX News has noted, “U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman financial disclosure report shows he still owns eight energy-related investments including stock in Exxon Mobil Corp. In last year's disclosure report, Feldman owned up to 16 energy-related investments. His new report was released Friday. Among the assets sold was stock in Transocean, the Switzerland-based company that owned the drilling rig operated by BP that is now spewing oil into the Gulf .”

The controversial decision made by Feldman benefited Transocean and many other oil dependent firms—even as America continues to face the consequences of the worst man-made economic and environmental disaster in its entire history.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-22/u-s-deepwater-oil-drilling-ban-lifted-today-by-new-orleans-federal-judge.html

OILED PALMS AND POCKETS NEED TO BE IMPEACHED

I think that any judge with a scrap of decency would have recused himself from such a case. Since he did not, Judge Feldman should be impeached.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/23/2010-06-23_martin_feldman_judge_who_overturned_obama_gulf_drilling_ban_had_investments_in_o.html

This Judge Feldman may have been correct in his decision, but he was not the judge who should have made such an injunction—his hands and bank account are bloodied by present and past oil investments.