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Tag Archives: department of justice
American Airlines and JetBlue Alliance Blocked
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit last Friday affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’ ruling in favor of the Justice Department and the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia in their civil antitrust lawsuit to stop the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue. Continue reading
Posted in aviation, customer satisfaction, litigation, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged antitrust, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, department of justice, jetblue, Ken Zino, sherman act, Spirit Airlines, X @KenAutoinformed
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Two Corporate Execs Convicted for Failure to Report Under CPSA
A Los Angeles jury has convicted two corporate executives of conspiracy and failure to report information related to defective residential dehumidifiers that had been linked to multiple fires, in the First-Ever Criminal Prosecution for Failure to Report Under Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSC)*. Simon Chu, 68, of Chino Hills, California, and Charley Loh, 65, of Arcadia, California, were convicted of conspiracy to defraud and failure to furnish information as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Continue reading
Posted in news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Brian M. Boynton, Chinese Junk Watch, Consumer Product Safety Act, cpsc, department of justice, Gree Electric Appliances of Zhuhai China, Gree Zhuhai dehumidifiers, Ken Zino
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Real News: SEC Charges Lumber Liquidators with Fraud
Lumber Liquidators agreed to pay more than $6 million to settle the SEC action. The SEC’s order finds that in early 2015, Lumber Liquidators, a discount retailer of hardwood flooring, made public statements in response to a “60 Minutes” news program episode that showed undercover video of Lumber Liquidators’ suppliers stating that they provided the company with products that did not comply with regulatory requirements. Continue reading
Justice Department Seizes Chinese Counterfeit Sports Jerseys
Why the Obama Administration in general, and the State Department under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have not taken stronger actions against ongoing corrupt Chinese business practices is an unanswered issue here. Why Major League baseball and the National Football League, among other sports organizations, remain silent over the widespread counterfeiting of their apparel is a disgrace and mocks their hard-working, law-abiding U.S. fans. Will the multi-millionaire players living off law-abiding fans ever wake up and demand action or are they too rich to care? Continue reading
Cramming, the Latest Assault on Your Privacy and Pocketbook
The latest scam in our largely unregulated computerized world is ‘cramming,’ a criminal practice that imposes small charges on your phone bill for false services or products. The root cause is the lack of adequate security at phone companies, which allow thieves to corrupt the billing system and arrange for fraudulent charges. Continue reading
Posted in fools 'n frauds, litigation, news
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, cramming, department of justice, doj, fcc, internet privacy, Ken Zino, phone fraud
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Japanese Suppliers Yazaki, Denso Plead Guilty of Price Fixing
The two-year price fixing sentences would be the longest imprisonment imposed on a foreign national for a Sherman Act antitrust violation. The fine amounts and prison sentences are subject to court approval and the potential influence of the U.S. State Department, which based on previous actions, cares little – if at all – in my opinion about competitive aspects of the U.S. auto industry or its effects on workers and the U.S. economy. In fact it can be argued that since the end of World War Two, State has actively pursued policies that strengthen offshore competitors of U.S. firms at the expense of the U.S. middle class. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, litigation, news, news analysis, people, results
Tagged auto informed, auto parts big rigging, autoinformed.com, automotive news, denso, department of justice, honda, japanese price fixing, Ken Zino, sherman antitrust act, state department, toyota, yazaki
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Toyota’s Hino Motors Emissions Fraud – $1.6B Plea Deal
The U.S. Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and State of California reached criminal and multiple civil resolutions, valued at more than $1.6 billion, with Hino Motors Ltd., Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. and Hino Motors Sales U.S.A., Inc. (collectively, Hino) for violations related to the submission of false and fraudulent engine emission testing and fuel consumption data to regulators and the illicit smuggling of engines into the United States. These resolutions are subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“Hino knew the requirements that engines must meet to be certified to operate in the United States, yet it falsified data for years to skirt regulations,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) yesterday. “Hino’s actions led to vast amounts of excess air pollution and were an egregious violation of our nation’s environmental, consumer protection and import laws.” Continue reading →