Court Finds POGO Acted in “Good Faith”

Late yesterday, a federal court issued an order in U.S. v POGO, stating:

“The Court was persuaded that the record contains adequate evidence that POGO made this payment openly and in good faith – namely, the prior disclosure to DOJ, POGO's desire to hold a press [conference] concerning the payment, and the appropriate tax filings made by POGO.” (Emphasis added)

As a result, the Court exercised its discretion in imposing a civil penalty of $120,000 against POGO, an amount far less than the $383,600 the Department of Justice sought from us. POGO is considering its legal options.

The Court’s order stems from a lawsuit brought against POGO involving a public service award provided to a Department of Energy whistleblower. In February, the jury found for the Department of Justice in the case.