DOJ Archives

Feb 2, 2021

DOJ on the Lookout for PPP Fraud

On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the first civil settlement to arise out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Internet retailer SlideBelts Inc. and its president and CEO, Brigham Taylor, have agreed to pay $100,000 in damages and penalties to resolve allegations that they obtained a $350,000 PPP loan by falsely representing to bank lenders when they applied for the forgivable loan that the company was not in bankruptcy, when in fact it was. The loan proceeds have already been repaid to the lender. The PPP was part of the CARES Act passed in March… Read more

Aug 12, 2020

DOJ Announces Policy to End Enforcement Overlap with States under Clean Water Act

On Monday, July 27, the DOJ issued a memo stating that federal actions seeking penalties under the Clean Water Act (CWA) will be strongly disfavored when a state has already initiated its own enforcement action. The memo notes that the CWA already precludes federal action when a state is pursuing administrative proceedings against an alleged violator under comparable state law, but that the CWA does not have the same prohibition when a state is pursuing a judicial enforcement action. The policy applies only to civil actions, not criminal cases, and is designed to respect state authority, and avoid duplicative enforcement… Read more

May 21, 2020

COVID-19 and Competition: Antitrust Law During the Global Pandemic

Overview COVID-19’s rapid spread has necessitated collaborations to equip communities with the proper tools to combat the disease. Many have risen to the occasion and worked tirelessly to help protect the health and safety of the United States. As the DOJ and FTC (the “Agencies”) put it in their March 24th Joint Antitrust Statement, however, “others may use [COVID-19] as an opportunity to subvert competition or prey on vulnerable Americans.”[1] The FTC, DOJ, and Trump Administration have taken measures to guide businesses on how to collaborate legally and have sent forceful reminders about the repercussions of violating antitrust laws during… Read more

Jun 13, 2016

The DOJ states that the EPA Assistance to States with Clean Power Plan Implementation Complies with Law

The U.S. EPA’s (“EPA”) ongoing assistance to states implementing the Clean Power Plan under the new EPA rule has been reviewed by the DOJ for compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to stay the rule. Under the stay issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, the EPA is enjoined from implementing the Clean Power Plan. The DOJ has determined that states are not enjoined by the Supreme Court’s decision, and, therefore voluntary request from individual states for assistance in implementation. Clean Power Plans do not rule afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s stay on implementing the rule. The EPA’s Clean… Read more