The Justice Department on Monday announced that it will establish a task force to oversee the department’s criminal investigation into the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Last summer, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that DOJ would hold accountable anyone found responsible for the largest oil spill in American history. In announcing the criminal probe, Holder declined to say who was the target of the probe or whether a grand jury had been convened.
The new task force will be headed by John Buretta, Senior Counsel of the Criminal Division, and supervised by Criminal Division Chief Lanny Breuer.
DOJ spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said the overarching task force was created because Deputy Attorney General James Cole wants to avoid duplication of DOJ’s efforts in the investigation.
