Dan Gelber quit his law firm, Akerman Senterfitt, on Thursday after BP hired the firm to represent it in the oil claims process.
BP hired
Akerman Senterfitt to handle civil litigation weeks ago. Gelber, a
Democratic state senator running for attorney general, submitted his
letter of resignation last week, according to campaign manager Christian Ulvert.
In an interview with the Times/Herald on Monday evening, Ulvert disclosed Gelber's resignation after challenger Dave Aronberg
called on Gelber to resign. "As a candidate for attorney general, it is
an inherent problem when your own law firm is on other side of one of
the most important pending lawsuits in Florida's history," Aronberg
said in a statement. "Working for the law firm that is defending
British Petroleum for damage done to Florida beaches is disqualifying.
You don't have to be a lawyer to know that you can't profit from the
polluter and then represent those who have been injured by that same
polluter."
Gelber initially resisted suggestions about a conflict of interest, telling the Daily Business Review "I know nothing
about the case, nor will I ever." Read more here.
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