GA Sen Chambliss resists subpoena over sugar plant tragedy
Early voting began in Georgia Wednesday in the closely-watched heated runoff between Republican incumbent Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.
Yet, Chambliss has been making other news this week. The Georgia senator is resisting an order to give evidence in a lawsuit by families of victims killed or hurt in the Imperial Sugar Co. explosions and fire earlier this year. The senator was subpoenaed last month on behalf of four victims - two dead and two injured - of the Feb. 7 inferno at a plant in Port Wentworth, Ga., where incredibly high levels of sugar dust fueled an explosion killed 14 workers and seriously injured dozens scores of others, reports the Savannah Morning News.
From the AFL-CIO blog:
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports:
Chambliss works closely with the sugar industry as the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, but he has insisted he is not trying to defend the Sugar Land, Texas, based company, which is one of the largest U.S. sugar producers, reports the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration proposed $8.7 million in fines against Texas-based Imperial Sugar in July for safety violations at the Georgia refinery and another plant in Gramercy, La. Imperial Sugar is contesting the fines, the third-largest in OSHA's 40-year history, according to the Associated Press.
Yet, Chambliss has been making other news this week. The Georgia senator is resisting an order to give evidence in a lawsuit by families of victims killed or hurt in the Imperial Sugar Co. explosions and fire earlier this year. The senator was subpoenaed last month on behalf of four victims - two dead and two injured - of the Feb. 7 inferno at a plant in Port Wentworth, Ga., where incredibly high levels of sugar dust fueled an explosion killed 14 workers and seriously injured dozens scores of others, reports the Savannah Morning News.
From the AFL-CIO blog:
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) hit the [Imperial Sugar Co.] with $5 million in fines for "willful and egregious safety violations" over the blast. And a Senate subcommittee held a hearing in July, finding that Imperial had no plan to deal with the dangerous combustible dust and ignored warnings about plant safety.
During that hearing, Chambliss--who has received $21 million in campaign contributions this election cycle from the sugar industry--berated a corporate whistle-blower who exposed the dangerous conditions at the plant.
Mark Tate, an attorney representing families of two workers killed in the blast as well as two injured workers, has subpoenaed Chambliss to testify about his involvement in trying to protect Imperial Sugar from consequences of the explosion.More specifically, Tate wants Chambliss to submit to questions this Thursday about whether Imperial Sugar executives enlisted him to help the company avoid blame in the Feb. 7 explosion.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports:
Tate says he wants to know if Imperial Sugar executives persuaded Chambliss to sharply criticize a company whistle-blower during a July Senate hearing on the explosion. He says he also wants the senator to respond to plaintiffs' claims that the company arranged a meeting between Chambliss and victims' families to dissuade them from suing.Chambliss is due to testify under oath soon and has been ordered to produce papers and e-mails provided to him by Imperial, related companies and Imperial's law firm. But Chambliss' attorney are asking a judge to throw out the subpoena, arguing that federal law and Senate rules not only make Chambliss immune from testifying in the case, but prohibit him from doing so.
Chambliss works closely with the sugar industry as the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, but he has insisted he is not trying to defend the Sugar Land, Texas, based company, which is one of the largest U.S. sugar producers, reports the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration proposed $8.7 million in fines against Texas-based Imperial Sugar in July for safety violations at the Georgia refinery and another plant in Gramercy, La. Imperial Sugar is contesting the fines, the third-largest in OSHA's 40-year history, according to the Associated Press.
