Deadline Set For Responses To BP Fraud Allegations

A federal judge has decided that August 26 will be the deadline for court-supervised claims administrator Patrick Juneau to respond to BP's allegations that there is fraud and conflicts of interest inside the settlement programs.

Billions of dollars have been awarded to Gulf Coast businesses and residents after the Gulf oil spill.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier indicated he won't hold a hearing on BP's latest request for him to suspend payments while the allegations are being looked into.  Former FBI Director Louis Freeh is investigating alleged misconduct by a lawyer that had worked for Juneau.

Barbier has already rejected a similar request by BP.

Bp now claimes though that they have just received new evidence of "more widespread and potentially systemic improprieties".