When Judge Martin Feldman ordered the federal government to end its moratorium on deep-sea drilling, he actually meant it. In a ruling earlier today, the federal judge in New Orleans has held the Obama administration in contempt for its "defiance" in reimposing the moratorium through other means:The Obama Administration acted in contempt by continuing its deepwater drilling moratorium after the policy was struck down, a New Orleans judge ruled.
Interior Department regulators acted with "determined disregard" by lifting and reinstituting a series of policy changes that restricted offshore drilling, following the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, U.S. District Judge, Martin Feldman of New Orleans ruled yesterday....and at the end.
"Each step the government took following the court's imposition of a preliminary injunction showcases its defiance," Feldman said in the ruling.
"Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the re- imposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium, and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this court with clear and convincing evidence of the government's contempt," Feldman said.
What legal impact does a contempt ruling have on an administration? Not much, although a failure to comply with court orders could eventually lead to removing Ken Salazar from his post at Interior, if Congress gets fed up enough with it. It will likely have a great deal more political impact, though -- and certainly will provide House Oversight chair Darrell Issa with a new issue to investigate.
You know, if a federal court held me in contempt, my ass would be headed to prison. Yet, laws are for the common man apparently. Just remember Bambi, we overthrew a king once in our history already.