White House says Justice Department has been looking into the BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

White House: Justice Dept. has been to Gulf spill

WASHINGTON — The White House says the Justice Department has been gathering information about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs isn’t saying whether the department has opened a criminal investigation. He would only tell CBS’ “Face the Nation” that department representatives have been to the Gulf as part of the response to the BP oil leak.

The head of the Senate’s environmental committee, Democrat Barbara Boxer of California, has asked the Justice Department to determine whether BP made false and misleading claims about its ability to prevent a serious oil spill.

The White House is asking Congress for $10 million for the Justice Department to pay unspecified litigation costs.