The Obama administration prosecuted eight individuals under the Espionage Act for leaking to media, more than all previous administrations combined which had only three cases total since 1917. Those prosecuted included Thomas Drake (NSA) whose 10 felony charges were reduced to a misdemeanor after …
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a sealed criminal complaint against Edward Snowden on June 14, 2013, charging him with three felonies: unauthorized communication of national defense information, willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized …
Edward SnowdenDepartment of JusticeEric Holderedward-snowdenespionage-actwhistleblowingcriminal-chargesnsa-surveillance
HSBC paid $1.9 billion for laundering money for Mexican drug cartels and violating sanctions against Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Cuba, but no executives faced criminal charges despite overwhelming evidence of intentional wrongdoing. The bank laundered at least $881 million for the Sinaloa and Norte del …
HSBCLanny BreuerDepartment of JusticeMexican Drug CartelsEric Holder+1 moremoney-launderingtoo-big-to-jaildrug-cartelsfinancial-crimeimpunity
BP reached a landmark $4.5 billion criminal settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, pleading guilty to 14 criminal charges including 11 felony counts of misconduct or negligent homicide related to the deaths of the 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The settlement included $4 …
BP (British Petroleum)Department of JusticeSecurities and Exchange CommissionDonald VidrineRobert Kaluza+3 morecriminal-settlementcorporate-prosecutionenvironmental-crimedeepwater-horizondoj-enforcement
BP reached a landmark $4.5 billion criminal settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, pleading guilty to 14 criminal charges including 11 felony counts of misconduct or negligent homicide related to the deaths of the 11 workers in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The settlement included $4 …
BP (British Petroleum)Department of JusticeSecurities and Exchange CommissionDonald VidrineRobert Kaluza+3 morecriminal-settlementcorporate-prosecutionenvironmental-crimedeepwater-horizondoj-enforcement
$25 billion settlement with five major banks over foreclosure abuses provides limited relief to homeowners. The agreement settled widespread ‘robosigning’ practices where banks mass-signed foreclosure documents without proper review. While nominally $25 billion, only $1.5 billion went …
Eric HolderBank of AmericaJPMorgan ChaseWells FargoCitigroup+2 moreprosecutorial-capturesettlement-abuseforeclosure-fraudimmunity-dealfinancial-corruption+1 more
President Barack Obama authorizes the Department of Justice to release four previously classified memos from the Office of Legal Counsel written between 2002 and 2005 that authorized CIA torture techniques including waterboarding, stress positions, sleep deprivation, and confinement in coffin-sized …
Barack ObamaEric HolderCIAJohn YooJay Bybee+2 moretortureciaobamaimpunitywar-crimes+2 more
During a critical congressional testimony, Attorney General Eric Holder revealed the Department of Justice’s emerging doctrine of ’too big to jail’, acknowledging that prosecuting certain financial institutions could potentially destabilize the national and global economy. This …
Eric HolderDepartment of JusticeJPMorgan ChaseBank of AmericaCitigroup+2 moreinstitutional-captureregulatory-capturecorruptionfinancial-crisisbank-prosecution+3 more
Despite widespread evidence of fraud in the 2008 financial crisis, the Obama administration prosecuted zero major Wall Street executives, contrasting starkly with the Savings and Loan crisis when 1,706 bankers were sent to prison. Instead, the DOJ pursued civil settlements totaling tens of billions, …
Eric HolderDepartment of JusticeWall Street BanksLanny BreuerCovington & Burlingfinancial-crisiswall-streetimpunityrevolving-doortoo-big-to-fail
U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), the longest-serving Republican senator in history and former President Pro Tempore, was indicted on seven felony counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure forms. The indictment alleged that Stevens knowingly failed to report receiving more than …
Ted StevensBill AllenEric HolderCongressional CorruptionRepublican PartyAlaskaProsecutorial MisconductEthics Violations+1 more