Page 5 - atoday
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Thursday 3 March 2016
Indicted ex-Chesapeake CEO dies in fiery single-car crash
SEAN MURPHY named in the indictment, In this 2012 photo, Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon attends Game 6 of the
Associated Press from December 2007 to NBA basketball Western Conference finals, in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City police say McClen-
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — March 2012. The compa- don was killed Wednesday in a fiery single-car crash in Oklahoma City.
Aubrey McClendon, a nies would decide ahead
natural gas industry titan, of time who would win (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
was killed when police bids, with the winner then
say he drove his sport util- allocating an interest in the declined to comment on named after the company United States. He left the
ity vehicle “straight into leases to the other compa- the impact McClendon’s he founded in 1989 with his company in January 2013
a wall” in Oklahoma City ny, according to the state- death would have on the friend, Tom Ward, with an amid philosophical differ-
on Wednesday, a day af- ment. case. initial $50,000 investment. ences with a new board
ter he was indicted on a In a statement released McClendon could fre- They eventually grew the of directors, and founded
charge of conspiring to rig Tuesday after his indict- quently be spotted in his company into one of the American Energy Partners,
bids to buy oil and natu- ment, McClendon denied courtside seats near the largest independent pro- where he was chairman
ral gas leases in northwest violating antitrust laws. Thunder bench in the arena ducers of natural gas in the and CEO. q
Oklahoma. “The charge that has been
Police Capt. Paco Balder- filed against me today is
rama said McClendon, co- wrong and unprecedent-
founder of Chesapeake ed,” McClendon said.
Energy and a part-owner “Anyone who knows me,
of the NBA’s Oklahoma my business record and
City Thunder, was the only the industry in which I have
occupant in the vehicle worked for 35 years, knows
when it slammed into a that I could not be guilty of
concrete bridge embank- violating any antitrust laws.
ment shortly after 9 a.m. All my life I have worked
“He pretty much drove to create jobs in Okla-
straight into the wall,” homa, grow its economy,
Balderrama said. “The in- and to provide abundant
formation out there at the and affordable energy to
scene is that he went left all Americans. I am proud
of center, went through of my track record in this
a grassy area right before industry, and I will fight to
colliding into the embank- prove my innocence and
ment. There was plenty of to clear my name.”
opportunity for him to cor- Department of Justice
rect and get back on the spokesman Mark Abueg
roadway and that didn’t
occur.” Texas trooper indicted over Bland stop formally fired
McClendon’s death fol-
lows an announcement PAUL J. WEBER ber. He’s accused of lying return a phone message. died in confrontations with
Tuesday that he had been Associated Press about his July 2015 arrest He has previously called police or while in police
indicted by a federal AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A of Sandra Bland and their the indictment unjustified custody.
grand jury. Texas trooper indicted over confrontational traffic stop and said Encinia was look- Encinia had been on paid
Balderrama says it’s too his arrest of a black woman that was caught on dash- ing out for his own safety. desk duty since Bland’s ar-
early to say if the collision who was later found dead cam video. Bland’s family sued af- rest and remained on the
was intentional. in jail has been formally Encinia met last month with ter the 28-year-old black payroll after McCraw an-
He said McClendon was fired, three months after Department of Public Safe- woman died last summer nounced in December that
not wearing a seat belt his bosses first announced ty Director Steve McCraw, in jail following her arrest on the agency would begin
and that he was driving they would do so, state of- but their conversation the outskirts of Houston. the process of firing him.
faster than the 50 mph ficials said Wednesday. gave the agency leader Her death was ruled a sui- He is now no longer a paid
speed limit. Former Texas Department no reason cide. employee and will remain
The Department of Jus- of Public Safety Trooper “to alter my preliminary The case provoked nation- that way even if he ap-
tice said in a statement Brian Encinia can still ap- decision,” according to a al outrage and drew the peals his dismissal to the
Tuesday that McClendon, peal the decision to fire termination letter signed by attention of the Black Lives state’s Public Safety Com-
56, was suspected of or- him, which came after a Encinia on Wednesday. Matter movement, with mission, Department of
chestrating a scheme be- grand jury indicted him on Encinia’s attorney, Larkin protesters linking Bland to Public Safety spokesman
tween two large energy a perjury charge in Decem- Eakin, did not immediately other black suspects who Tom Vinger said.q
companies, which are not
