Justice Department accuses six major landlords of scheming to keep rents high
The complaint alleges the landlords participated in an unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing, harming millions of American renters.
Department of Justice
-
Hearing set to consider reclassifying marijuana as advocates look to future
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration set a Dec. 2 hearing date to take comment on what many observers feel could be a historic shift in federal drug policy on marijuana, possibly opening the door for legalization in Indiana.
Read More -
Indiana Southern District criminal chief recognized for legal achievements, proven character
Indiana Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division chief Cindy Cho is committed to the Department of Justice’s mission to do justice through the law — so much so that her desire to become a federal prosecutor dates back as far as her memory serves.
Read More -
Settlement requires real estate brokers to disclose commissions
The National Association of Realtors is revamping its rules about commissions to comply with a settlement reached with the Department of Justice. The settlement requires brokers to disclose commissions on listings published through the Multiple Listings Service.
Read More -
Web exclusive: Young attorney driven in fight to abolish capital punishment
Attorney Ashley Eve was one of more than a dozen death penalty protesters who claimed that their First Amendment rights were violated when Indiana State Police set up roadblocks that kept capital punishment protestors almost 2 miles away from the federal prison in Terre Haute while three executions took place there last month. Eve was motivated to a career in law by her opposition to the death penalty.
Read More
Articles
Community Health to pay another $145M in whistleblower case, including $6.3M to former CFO
Community Health Network has agreed to pay out another $145 million to settle claims that it engaged in a years-long scheme to recruit physicians and pay them huge salaries and bonuses in return for referrals.
Justice Department and the city of Memphis to address results of scathing police investigation
The fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers after he ran away from a traffic stop in January 2023 exposed serious problems in the Memphis Police Department, from the use of excessive force to its mistreatment of Black people in the majority-Black city, a federal investigation has found.
Could widespread legal angst lead to changes for Live Nation?
Indiana and 38 other states have joined a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against concert promoter Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster, leading some experts to wonder if the sheer volume of support for the lawsuit could lead to significant change for the ticketing and concert industry.
US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment
U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade.
US Justice Department accuses South Bend of discrimination in police hiring
The department’s lawsuit alleges South Bend uses a written examination that discriminates against Black police officer applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminates against women. The city defends its practices as fair and compliant with Indiana law.
FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in the US
The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S., the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Justice Department will launch civil rights review into 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
The review was launched under a federal cold-case initiative that has led to prosecutions of some Civil Rights Era cases, although Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said they have “no expectation” there is anyone living who could be prosecuted as a result of the inquiry.
Department of Justice sues Visa, saying the card issuer monopolizes debit card markets
The U.S. Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa, alleging that the financial services behemoth uses its size and dominance to stifle competition in the debit card market, costing consumers and businesses billions of dollars.
Department of Justice partnering with Indianapolis to reduce domestic gun violence
The U.S. Department of Justice will work with the U.S. Attorney’s office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Field Division to design and execute a plan to reduce intimate partner gun violence under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.
Hendricks County agrees to pay $300K to settle zoning discrimination claims from Muslim group
The agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice would settle allegations that the county violated federal laws by denying zoning approval for an Islamic seminary, K-12 school and accompanying housing.
TikTok face offs with Justice Department over law that could lead to ban
TikTok faced off with the U.S. government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months is unconstitutional while the Justice Department said it is needed to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company.
DOJ looks to revive classified documents case against Trump, argues judge’s dismissal was ‘flawed’
The appeals process could take months, likely closing the door on any movement in the classified documents case against Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, before November’s election.
U.S. antitrust case alleges rent collusion enabled by tech firm’s software
The Justice Department and attorneys general from eight states are suing a Texas-based software company accused of using complex algorithms to enable widespread collusion in rents by landlords.
The US government wants to make it easier for you to click the ‘unsubscribe’ button
In the name of consumer protection, a slew of U.S. federal agencies are working to make it easier for Americans to click the unsubscribe button for unwanted memberships and recurring payment services.
DOJ announces settlement in alleged hospice fraud case
A national hospice care provider has agreed to pay a multimillion dollar settlement in response to allegations it submitted false claims for services at several U.S. locations, including one in South Bend.
Indianapolis accountant pleads guilty to defrauding IRS of millions
An Indianapolis CPA faces up to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
Prosecutor in classified documents case clashes with judge over request to restrict Trump’s speech
A federal prosecutor in the classified documents case of Donald Trump clashed with the judge Monday as he faced skeptical questioning over a request to bar the former president from making threatening comments about law enforcement agents involved in the investigation.
Indy auto dealer sentenced to 3 years in $5.6M international fraud scheme
An Indianapolis car dealer was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for his role in an international advance-fee scheme orchestrated from Nigeria that defrauded victims worldwide of more than $5.6 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
House moves to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding Biden audio
The contempt action represents House Republicans’ latest and strongest rebuke of the Justice Department and of Garland’s leadership, playing out against the backdrop of an extraordinary conflict over the rule of law that has animated the 2024 presidential campaign.