Advertisement

Judge postpones trial of ex-BP executive charged with concealing information about Gulf spill

In this April 21, 2010 photo, fire boat response crews spray water on the blazing remnants of BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig.
In this April 21, 2010 photo, fire boat response crews spray water on the blazing remnants of BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, US Coast Guard

NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge has postponed the trial of a former BP executive charged with concealing information from Congress about the amount of oil that was spewing from the company’s blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt agreed Wednesday to give David Rainey’s attorneys more time to prepare for the trial that was scheduled to start on Oct. 14. His new trial date is March 10, 2014.

In May, Engelhardt dismissed an obstruction charge that was the backbone of the case against Rainey, who was BP’s vice-president of exploration for the Gulf.

But federal prosecutors secured a new indictment against Rainey last month that contains language addressing the judge’s reasons for dismissing the charge.

Sponsored content

AdChoices