The Trump/Sessions Department of Justice Just Did “Justice”

 

The DOJ has communicated to Congress that it is ending the Obama-era corporate shakedown regime, where it forced corporations who paid huge settlements to resolve conflicts relating to the financial crisis, to pay (liberal) third-party organizations as part of those settlements. Billions of dollars were siphoned off to various Obama special-interest groups, in violation of the Constitution.

Well, those days are over.  Congress is working on legislation to outlaw that sort of executive-branch misbehavior. Jeff Sessions, in one of his very best actions to date, has ended the Obama slush-funds.

Sessions said the money should, instead, go to the Treasury Department or victims.

“When the federal government settles a case against a corporate wrongdoer, any settlement funds should go first to the victims and then to the American people—not to bankroll third-party special interest groups or the political friends of whoever is in power,” Sessions said in a statement.

In my opinion, those third-party groups should have to refund every penny to the US Treasury. Yeah, I know it’s a pipe dream, but it should be considered anyway.

Published in Economics
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 23 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    It’s a start.  Justice would be if people in the shakedown actually ended up in jail.

    • #1
  2. Chuckles Coolidge
    Chuckles
    @Chuckles

    Yes, it’s too bad we can’t get refunds.  Those billions taken by extortion will have done permanent damage.

    Now if we can just fix things so the next Socialist administration can’t countermand the countermand.

    • #2
  3. Chris O. Coolidge
    Chris O.
    @ChrisO

    Okay, it’s policy. Now if Congress will make it statute we can give a golf clap for doing right by Americans on something.

    • #3
  4. Larry Koler Inactive
    Larry Koler
    @LarryKoler

    RushBabe49: In my opinion, those third-party groups should have to refund every penny to the US Treasury.

    This goes for PBS and NPR, too.

    • #4
  5. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    The Gibson Guitar fingerboard “case” was extortion. Some government lawyer needs to be disbarred and incarcerated.

    • #5
  6. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    A win.

    • #6
  7. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    RushBabe49: In my opinion, those third-party groups should have to refund every penny to the US Treasury. Yeah, I know it’s a pipe dream, but it should be considered anyway.

    Even if they never pay up, it is important for them to know that such refunds would be the right thing.

    Thanks for the good news, btw. I would not have known otherwise.

    • #7
  8. NigelT Member
    NigelT
    @NigelT

    Percival (View Comment):
    The Gibson Guitar fingerboard “case” was extortion. Some government lawyer needs to be disbarred and incarcerated.

    Yeah! I want retribution for the “baked maple” fingerboard on my Firebird Studio.

    • #8
  9. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    The Trump administration in for the win

    • #9
  10. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Percival (View Comment):
    The Gibson Guitar fingerboard “case” was extortion. Some government lawyer needs to be disbarred and incarcerated.

    Nope, it was government, maybe politics.  Extortion is when similar tactics are employed by non government entities.  The government is jealous of its protection rackets and does not tolerate others muscling in on its scams.

    • #10
  11. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    This is one of those instances where even a blind man can see the morally correct course of action. How a court of law could approve these types of settlements is beyond me.

    • #11
  12. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Expected headline: “New Trump rules target civil rights and community groups”

    Or perhaps “Sessions announces plan to defund voter registration, community service orgs”

    • #12
  13. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    James Lileks (View Comment):
    Expected headline: “New Trump rules target civil rights and community groups”

    Or perhaps “Sessions announces plan to defund voter registration, community service orgs”

    Sheesh, James. At least make them write their own headlines!

    • #13
  14. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    I may be wrong, but I don’t remember any court of law ever seeing any of these settlements. While Obama was in office, no court would have heard any case (since Obama packed the appeals courts with his crony liberals), and they remain packed today.  I haven’t heard of any big bank or other big business challenging any settlement, and it’s probably too late now.

    • #14
  15. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
    Sheesh, James. At least make them write their own headlines!

    Sorry, it’s my business. Can’t help myself.

    But you know some will spin it that way. The redistribution justifies the extraction and confiscation. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone sued to stop the policy change because it will have a disparate impact. 

    • #15
  16. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Halle – frikin’ – lujah.  Let’s just hope they can put something in place that’s bulletproof to make sure this never happens again.

    • #16
  17. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

     

    Instugator (View Comment):
    The Trump administration in for the win

    Seems  to me this is merely a tie like catching the pickpocket one time. What about all the other times they got away with it, and how many other scams have the Obamanites seeded throughout the government. If there’s no punishment what’s to stop them from reintroducing it the next time the leftists take over. And how is it we haven’t heard about this before? How is it not one Republican congress critter got up on his hind legs and screamed bloody murder about this?  Not to mention the ‘watchdog’ press.

    It simply amazes me how the left turns everything to their advantage, they have a thousand irons in the fire and we have to fight tooth and nail  over each one.

     

    • #17
  18. Lazy_Millennial Inactive
    Lazy_Millennial
    @LazyMillennial

    Awesome start. Now we need Congress to make this permanent. Call your reps

    • #18
  19. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
    Sheesh, James. At least make them write their own headlines!

    Sorry, it’s my business. Can’t help myself.

    But you know some will spin it that way. The redistribution justifies the extraction and confiscation. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone sued to stop the policy change because it will have a disparate impact.

    Shakedowns end! Women and Minorities hurt most!

    • #19
  20. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    The Gibson Guitar fingerboard “case” was extortion. Some government lawyer needs to be disbarred and incarcerated.

    Nope, it was government, maybe politics. Extortion is when similar tactics are employed by non government entities. The government is jealous of its protection rackets and does not tolerate others muscling in on its scams.

    I stand by “extortion.” The Lacey Act was meant to prevent the illegal importation of rare woods that were being illegally harvested (according to the country from which the wood originated.) The countries in question (India, I think) send 95% percent of legally harvested rosewood to China. Rosewood furniture is popular in China and the law was a protectionist measure to prevent the Chinese from using raw rosewood to make the furniture. The Indians wanted to protect furniture makers in their own country, so no raw wood. The Indians apparently do not make guitar fingerboards. This was a technical violation of the Indian law, but there was no prosecution being conducted to protect jobs that the Indians don’t do. However, the government could make Gibson’s existence questionable by drawing the prosecution out. Gibson forked over a “fine” to make the government go away, and apparently a little more cash to some environmental outfit.

    Oh, and the government can use tactics not available to your garden variety extortionist. Part of the process of dropping this mess was that Gibson is forbidden to discuss the judgement or the facts of the case.

    • #20
  21. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Percival (View Comment):
    However, the government could make Gibson’s existence questionable by drawing the prosecution out. Gibson forked over a “fine” to make the government go away, and apparently a little more cash to some environmental outfit.

    Oh, and the government can use tactics not available to your garden variety extortionist. Part of the process of dropping this mess was that Gibson is forbidden to discuss the judgement or the facts of the case.

    Shame if anything happened to that little guitar business of yours…

    • #21
  22. Goldwaterwoman Thatcher
    Goldwaterwoman
    @goldwaterwoman

    Thank you for letting us know about this @rushbabe49 !

    • #22
  23. Goldwaterwoman Thatcher
    Goldwaterwoman
    @goldwaterwoman

    Rightfromthestart (View Comment):
    And how is it we haven’t heard about this before? How is it not one Republican congress critter got up on his hind legs and screamed bloody murder about this? Not to mention the ‘watchdog’ press.

    It makes me sick that our own people weren’t shouting from the rooftops. The press, of course, prefers to report on fights between politicians rather than actually doing investigative reporting and keeping us informed about real issues.

    • #23
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.