End of the Year Brings A Burst of Settlements With Justice Department

The title should read "End of Bush administration Brings A Burst of Settlements With Justice Department"--Dictynna

By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 2, 2009; A03

The Justice Department has reached more than a dozen business-related settlements since the presidential election, with more in the pipeline for January, prompting lawyers and interest groups to assert that companies are seeking more favorable terms before the new administration arrives.

The climate for business settlements could grow more harsh when Obama appointees seize the reins at the Justice Department, corporate lawyers say. They point to statements by Attorney General-designate Eric H. Holder Jr., who told an audience last month that he would expand the focus of federal prosecutors into corporate suites.