Some Justice Department lawyers are holding cases until President-elect Obama is inagurated on Jan. 20, according to this NPR story. The thinking goes something like this: A new administration will have different priorities from the previous one. Which has some under-investigation companies squirming as they face prosecution — and possibly stiffer sanctions for violations — under the Obama administration.
-Christy
A story excerpt:
At the other end of each memo is someone under investigation, and defense lawyers say companies that have been under investigation for a long time are starting to get nervous.
The companies are asking questions like, “If I haven’t heard from prosecutors since 2005, does that mean the case is dead?”
According to DiBiagio, those cases could soon find new life.
“If you are under investigation for one of the areas that have not been emphasized and now it’s a new priority for the Obama administration, what could have been a civil resolution last year may go more criminal this time,” he says. Or, “what may be a light fine criminally under the Bush administration may be a much heavier fine” under the new administration.
Filed under: News, News articles | Tagged: administration priorities, civil rights, investigation, Justice depart, NPR, politics, President-elect Obama, prosecution
