After the BP oil spill, ProPublica found evidence of exorbitant amounts of money given out for cleanup that may have been used less than honestly. Their findings were recently called into question and, in an effort to defend themselves, ProPublica uncovered even more evidence of funding abuse.
From ProPublica:
New documents obtained by ProPublica, however, show that BP’s auditors repeatedly questioned bills submitted by St. Bernard contractors, including three with ties to Taffaro, based on suspicions that they had overcharged or charged for permanent parish improvements unrelated to the spill.
Other reporting shows that six of Taffaro’s associates got BP work last summer potentially worth millions of dollars. A seventh, Taffaro’s biggest campaign donor, loaned money to help the parish’s main spill contractor—a company picked by Taffaro. These seven men subsequently joined Taffaro’s re-election committee. One, an old friend of Taffaro’s who landed the BP catering job, solicited others working on the spill for donations to Taffaro’s campaign, according to an email sent on the man’s behalf.
Submitted by Andrew Fatato
