JACKSON, MS (WLOX) -
A legal battle between Gulf Coast Claims Fund Administrator Ken Feinberg and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood will play out in state court.
In February, Hood issued a subpoena to the GCCF and Feinberg for paperwork on the oil spill claims process. Hood said he wanted to be sure the oil spill victims were being fairly compensated. And that he had reason to believe the GCCF and Feinberg may have violated the Consumer Protection Act.
In July, after the GCCF failed to comply with the subpoena, Hood took the action a step further by filing suit on behalf of the State of Mississippi.
"Mr. Feinberg and the GCCF have continually made promises of compliance, but have failed to fully provide necessary information despite our repeated requests and reasonable efforts to resolve the issues," Hood said in July. "All they have managed to do is delay, deny, deceive and dissemble."
A battle then ensued over whether the case belonged in state or federal court. Late Tuesday, a judge ruled that the GCCF's removal to federal court was "improper."
"We have maintained all along that this issue belonged in a state court since we brought it under state law, and we are obviously pleased that the judge agreed with us," said Attorney General Jim Hood. "We would hope that the GCCF and Mr. Feinberg could just do the right thing by the law and comply with our subpoena."
"If the GCCF has nothing to hide, why have they gone to such efforts to avoid compliance?" Hood asked. "We intend to find out."
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