The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by former BP plc executive David Rainey, who contested whether he may be charged with obstruction of Congress for downplaying the severity of the Macondo well blowout in 2010. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in June reversed a ruling concerning allegations that Rainey failed to disclose information that the spill estimates may have been higher than disclosed (see Daily GPI, June 30, 2014, May 22, 2013). A district court judge in 2013 had ruled in his favor (United States of America v. David Rainey, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 12-29). Rainey’s legal argument on appeal was that the federal government had missed the deadline to file an appeal after an obstruction charge against him was dismissed. Rainey also was charged with making false statements to law enforcement agents, not at issue before the Supreme Court appeal. He has pleaded not guilty.

Patrick Henderson, who was appointed as Pennsylvania’s first energy executive in 2011 by former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett (see Shale Daily, Jan. 17, 2011), has been named the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s director of regulatory affairs in a position it created for him. Henderson’s role as energy executive ended when Gov. Tom Wolf took office (see Shale Daily, Nov. 5, 2014). Henderson in his new role is to work with lawmakers in the general assembly on oil and gas-related issues.

American Energy Partners LP (AELP) has hired Jennifer M. Grigsby as CFO for two affiliates. The former Chesapeake Energy Corp. executive is to serve as financial chief for American Energy Woodford LLC and American Energy-Mineral Holdings LLC. Grigsby spent 19 years at Chesapeake, most recently as senior vice president of corporate and strategic planning. She previously worked for Commander Aircraft Co. and Deloitte and Touche LLC. AELP was founded by former Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon.