Matt Taibbi: 'Hands Down' Bush Was Tougher On Corporate America Than Obama (REALLY?) [View all]

[SunsetDreams]

The question was Who was tougher on corporate America, President Obama or President Bush?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/matt-taibbi-bush-tougher-than-obama-corporate-america

MATT TAIBBI: Oh, Bush, hands down. And this is an important point to make, because if you go back to the early 2000s, think about all these high-profile cases: Adelphia, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen. All of these companies were swept up by the Bush Justice Department. And what’s interesting about this is that you can see a progression. If you go back to the savings and loan crisis in the late '80s, which was an enormous fraud problem, but it paled in comparison to the subprime mortgage crisis, we put about 800 people in jail during—in the aftermath of that crisis. You fast-forward 10 or 15 years to the accounting scandals, like Enron and Adelphia and Tyco, we went after the heads of some of those companies. It wasn't as vigorous as the S&L prosecutions, but we at least did it. At least George Bush recognized the symbolic importance of showing ordinary Americans that justice is blind, right?

I guess these just are not good enough or err um high profile or whatever. I guess Obama has been so easy on Corporate America

Just this year alone...

Three Bridgestone Corp. Executives Indicted for Roles in Fixing Prices and Rigging Bids on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-at-386.html

CEO and Managing Partner of Wall Street Broker-Dealer Charged with Massive International Bribery Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-crm-381.html

Government Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Kansas Cancer Treatment Facility and Its Owner
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-civ-378.html

Owner of Tax Return Preparation Franchise and Health Provider Business Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud, Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-tax-372.html

Brooklyn Fish Processors Ordered to Comply with Sanitation Remedies
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-civ-370.html

Former Vice President of Government Contracting Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-crm-343.html

United States Announces $5.15 Billion Settlement of Litigation Against Subsidiaries of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to Remedy Fraudulent Conveyance Designed to Evade Environmental Liabilities
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/April/14-dag-338.html

Seven Indicted in Florida in Mortgage Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-324.html

Tonawanda Coke and Manager Sentenced for Violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-288.html

North America’s Largest Acid Manufacturer and Its Subsidiaries Agree to Slash Emissions and Reduce Air Pollution
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-enrd-287.html

Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-ag-286.html

American Family Care Inc. to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle Allegations of Inflated Medicare Claims
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-281.html

Straw Owner of Clinic Sentenced in Medicare Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-280.html

Jury Convicts All Seven Defendants in $97 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-crm-261.html

Florida Hospital System Agrees to Pay the Government $85 Million to Settle Allegations of Improper Financial Relationships with Referring Physicians
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-252.html

Pharmaceutical Company to Pay $27.6 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-civ-251.html

Coal Companies and Subsidiaries to Spend Estimated $200 Million on Treatment and System-wide Upgrades to Reduce Water Pollution
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/March/14-enrd-228.html

Omnicare to Pay Government $4.19 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-216.html

Diagnostic Imaging Group to Pay $15.5 Million for Allegedly Submitting False Claims to Federal and State Health Care Programs
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-200.html

Government Files Enforcement Action Against Four California Companies and Six Individuals to Stop the Importation of Dangerous Children’s Products
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-192.html

Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions to Pay $192.7 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Marketing of Prescription Drug Lidoderm for Unapproved Uses
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-187.html

Government Intervenes in Lawsuit Against Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Georgia Hospital Owned by Health Management Associates Inc. Alleging Payment of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-176.html

Former Bank of America Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Conspiracy and Fraud Involving Investment Contracts for Municipal Bonds Proceeds
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-at-137.html

Citgo Sentenced to Pay More Than $2 Million for Environmental Crimes at Corpus Christi, Texas, Refinery
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/

W.R. Grace Pays Over $63 Million Toward Cleanup and Restoration of Hazardous Waste Sites in Communities Across the Country
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-enrd-122.html

JPMorgan Chase to Pay $614 Million for Submitting False Claims for FHA-insured and VA-guaranteed Mortgage Loans
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/February/14-civ-120.html

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Set Record Numbers for Health Care Fraud Prosecutions(2013)
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-crm-082.html

Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-civ-037.html

Medical Device Manufacturer Charged With Major Securities Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-crm-013.html

2013 at a glance

Halliburton Agrees to Plead Guilty to Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deepwater Horizon Tragedy
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-crm-850.html

United States Reaches an Agreement with XTO Energy to Prevent Waste Spills from Natural Gas Exploration and Production
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-enrd-810.html

Panasonic and Its Subsidiary Sanyo Agree to Plead Guilty in Separate Price-Fixing Conspiracies Involving Automotive Parts and Battery Cells
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-at-808.html

Former CEO and Former CFO of ArthroCare Corp. Charged with Orchestrating $400 Million Securities Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-crm-805.html

Shell Oil to Spend Over $115 Million to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Houston Area Refinery and Chemical Plant
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/July/13-enrd-775.html

2012 at random

Justice Department Sues National Tax Preparation Firm and Franchisees to Stop Alleged Pervasive Tax Fraud
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-tax-393.html

Greek Shipping Company Sentenced in New Orleans to Pay $2 Million for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution and Obstruction of Justice
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-enrd-378.html

Harbert Companies Agree to Pay $47 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/March/12-civ-341.html

BP Products North America to Improve Spill Response Preparedness at Oil Terminals Nationwide
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/September/12-enrd-1167.html

2011 at a glance

Hedge Fund Manager of A&O Entities Convicted in $100 Million Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/June/11-crm-765.html

U.S. Subsidiary of Belgian Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Off-Label Promotion; Company to Pay More Than $34 Million
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/June/11-civ-751.html

Pfizer to Pay $14.5 Million for Illegal Marketing of Drug Detrol
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/October/11-civ-1389.html

Oracle Agrees to Pay U.S. $199.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/October/11-civ-1329.html

2010 at a glance..

Two Johnson & Johnson Subsidiaries to Pay Over $81 Million to Resolve Allegations of Off-Label Promotion of Topamax
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-civ-500.html

Medical Device Manufacturer Guidant Pleads Guilty for Not Reporting Defibrillator Safety Problems to FDA
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-civ-370.html

U.S. Settles Lawsuits Against Hewlett-Packard and Intervenes Against its Business Partners for Violating FCC Competitive Bidding Rules in Texas
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-civ-1284.html

2009 at a glance...

Nation’s Largest Nursing Home Pharmacy and Drug Manufacturer to Pay $112 Million to Settle False Claims Act Cases
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-civ-1186.html

Chevron to Pay U.S. More Than $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Royalties Underpayment
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-civ-1379.html

Oklahoma Hospital Group Pays U.S. $13 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-civ-1376.html

Duke Energy to Spend Approximately $93 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-enrd-1371.html

Largest Environmental Bankruptcy in U.S. History Will Result in Payment of $1.79 Billion Towards Environmental Cleanup & Restoration
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/December/09-enrd-1326.html

Much more DOJ action under Obama and Holder here:
http://www.justice.gov/briefing-room.html