Ex-BP executive can be charged with obstructing Congress - U.S. court

(Reuters) - A U.S. federal appeals court has reinstated a criminal charge of obstruction of Congress against a former BP Plc executive accused of downplaying the severity of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday said a lower court judge misinterpreted the obstruction statute in dismissing the charge against David Rainey, a former BP exploration vice president. In May 2013, U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt dismissed the obstruction charge, calling it uncertain whether the law, which refers to "any committee of either House," applied to subcommittees as well. Read More http://ift.tt/1mwoFni