La. has spent nearly $24M on oil spill litigation

Louisiana’s attorney general has spent nearly $24 million building the state’s legal case against BP over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with much of the money paid to outside law firms that have contributed to his campaigns. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s payments to outside lawyers—$15.4 million and counting—account for about two-thirds of his total spending, according to figures obtained by The Associated Press. While Louisiana took a much harder hit than other states during and after the disaster, that spending far exceeds the contract work paid by Caldwell’s counterparts, according to data provided by their offices. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange opted to let lawyers on his staff take on the work, and he says his office’s tab is well under $200,000 so far. New Orleans-based U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, who is presiding over most of the claims spawned by the spill, at one point appeared to take issue with Caldwell’s use of outside lawyers, remarking in a December 2011 order that the attorneys “obstructed and frustrated the progress of the litigation” rather than cooperating with Strange and the plaintiffs’ attorneys. Caldwell plans to ask lawmakers for the authority to spend even more on the case, money that could continue to be drawn from the spill fund, but also could eventually come from state taxes if the spill fund runs dry. The full story is here.