Alliance for Justice Releases Report Detailing the Energy-Related Financial Holdings of Judge Martin Feldman

Washington, D.C., July 21, 2010 – In the wake of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman’s refusal to recuse himself from the case involving the Obama Administration’s six-month deepwater drilling moratorium, Alliance for Justice has issued a detailed report describing the judge’s personal financial holdings in the energy sector, including several directly related to Gulf Coast offshore drilling. The report, based on public disclosure records, analyzes the Louisiana jurist’s financial holdings in energy-related investments from the years 2003-2009.

In announcing the release of the report, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron said, “We are deeply disappointed that Judge Feldman has refused to recuse himself from this case. Even the most cursory look at his personal financial holdings would lead any reasonable person to say he can’t possibly hear this case and stay within the formal rules of recusal, to say nothing of common-sense notions of bias.”

Aron continued, “There is a growing sense that our government and our judicial system are operating in the interests of powerful corporations and wealthy individuals. This kind of behavior just adds to that perception. With the prospect of years of oil spill litigation looming, we have to ask whether ordinary people can get a fair shake in this kind of environment. We’ve released this report to help raise these issues before our judicial system loses all credibility.”

*   *   *

A copy of the report, Energy-Related Financial Holdings of Judge Martin L.C. Feldman, United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana is available here: http://www.afj.org/about-afj/press/energy-related-financial-holdings-of-martin-feldman-1.pdf.

A brief overview of the rules governing the recusal of federal judges is also attached and may be downloaded here: http://www.afj.org/about-afj/press/judicial-recusal.pdf.

AFJ’s recent report on oil and gas industry ties to U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges, Judicial Gusher, may be downloaded here: http://afj.org/about-afj/press/fifth_circuit_judges_report.pdf.

NOTE: For those wishing to speak to judicial ethicists regarding the recusal issue, AFJ can provide the names of independent experts upon request.

# # #

Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 100 organizations dedicated to advancing justice and democracy. For more than 30 years has led the fight for a more equitable society on behalf of a broad constituency of environmental, consumer, civil and women's rights, children's, senior citizens' and other groups. Alliance for Justice is premised on the belief that all Americans have the right to secure justice in the courts and to have our voices heard when government makes decisions that affect our lives.