We are 10 days out from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's May 3, 2010 pronouncement that BP had made "all the right actions and all the right comments"[i]. This praise of BP's handling of the April 20, 2010 oil spill was premature as current concessions by BP's Chief Executive and congressional investigations now demonstrate.

"Rep. Henry Waxman, D - Calif., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that while there are 'far more questions than answers,' documents and testimony provided to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Panel show confusion among BP officials and on the rig about how to seal off the exploratory well."[ii]

Mr. Abbott's May 3 praise of "all the right actions and all the right comments" by BP as of that date are further contradicted by concessions made last night (May 12, 2010) by BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward in an interview reported today by the Wall Street Journal online. Hayward conceded "missteps" by BP early on after the April 20 spill, including handing out contracts to damage claimants which barred them from making any future claims. The BP Chief Executive also stated BP had taken too long to get the claims process up and running.[iii]

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, 2010 Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General: "BP has its own spokespeople; they don't need the Texas Attorney General to serve that role.  Mr. Abbott demeans his office when he advocates for BP instead of Texas.  He has forgotten that his client is Texas and not BP. Since he cannot zealously prosecute BP on behalf of Texas if need be, he should renounce his May 3 comments, or resign."

Radnofsky issued a press release on May 3, 2010 explaining why Abbott's quick defense of BP was problematic. In the original press release, Barbara Ann listed inaccuracies in statements from BP including an April 26, 2010 BP press release in which Chief Executive Tony Hayward claimed, "the improved weather has created better conditions for our response.  This combined, with the light, thin oil we are dealing with, has furthered our confidence that we can tackle this spill offshore."

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During her 30 year legal career, Barbara Ann has represented retirees, life-saving doctors, blood banks, children burned by lighters, families of murder victims, unfairly treated businesses: a wide variety of persons entitled to protection. Barbara Ann graduated with honors from the University of Houston and the University of Texas School of Law.   She was honored as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas in 1988 and for the past 17 years she has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America".

Prior to 2006, she was a partner at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins in Houston, where she served as head of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Section.  She was the first woman at Vinson & Elkins to have children as an associate and later attain partnership.  Texas has never had a woman Attorney General. 

Media Contact:
Katie Floyd: 713-357-3360 (office); katie.floyd@radnofsky.com

[i] Texas Tribune, "AG Takes Action on Oil Spill." May 3, 2010

[ii] Houston Chronicle, May 13, 2010. 

[iii] Wall Street Journal, "BP's Hayward Says Company Could Have Done More Disaster Preparation." May 13, 2010