Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, 48 days after the British Petroleum disaster in the Gulf, reaffirmed the "ecological and environmental disaster", claimed "Texas has not suffered any damages yet," and specified his "reaction" as "nothing but sheer frustration and aggravation".  He offered no regrets for his May 3 statement that BP had made "all the right actions and all the right comments".[i]

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, 2010 Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General, responded:

"Texans died in the explosion. Texas has been damaged in many ways that need to be investigated. The AG's confessed reaction of 'nothing but sheer frustration and aggravation' is common among overwhelmed young lawyers."

In a most regrettable conclusion for the people of Texas, the Texas Attorney General aided potential defendants in the Gulf disaster by denying deaths, economic and sub-surface ecological damages preceding visible oil on our shores. He proclaimed, as of June 8:

"The truth is, Texas has not suffered any damages yet, but we want to be ready in the event that oil does come to Texas."

Radnofsky continued:

"We've accurately quoted Mr. Abbott's 13th day response that BP had made 'all the right actions and all the right comments'. While Mr. Abbott may be emotionally fragile, he could still issue a civil investigative demand, a powerful AG subpoena-like tool.  His campaign website remains empty of information or reaction other than to hawk T-shirts as news.

"He allows every potential wrongdoer to escape damage responsibility to Texas as of June 8, 2010."

On Monday, June 7, Barbara Ann Radnofsky received the endorsement of the Texas League of Conservation Voters. 

Barbara Ann accepted an invitation from the League of Women Voters to attend a candidate forum on Monday, July 5 in Kerrville, Texas from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and invited Mr. Abbott to accept the League of Women voters invitation.  We must confront the Gulf disaster.

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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] Dallas Morning News. "Abbott Denies Campaign Rival's Charge That He Went Easy on BP." June 8, 2010; Texas Tribune.  May 3, 2010.