In a moment that shows exactly what the Trump Justice Department is like, Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Blanche stood up at a big anti-corruption event and basically told America’s white-collar lawyers: We are watching you — so don’t talk too much.
Speaking to hundreds of lawyers outside Washington, D.C., Blanche said that lawyers are secretly asking prosecutors to stop punishing their clients for corporate mistakes, but they act like the DOJ isn’t doing anything.
His message was clear: speak up or stay quiet.
Blanche said, “If you say we aren’t enforcing white-collar crime enough but also secretly think your clients are being unfairly targeted, we know.”
He sounded more like a school principal scolding kids for gossiping than a high-ranking law enforcement official.
He didn’t mention any real consequences, just the feeling that Trump’s DOJ is watching closely and making sure everyone stays in line.
The irony is that Trump actually stopped enforcing a major anti-bribery law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, because companies said it was too strict.
He even said he wanted to weaken it. Now Blanche is calling corporate accountability a top priority.
That’s not really surprising.
Blanche tried to have both sides: saying bribery harms public trust, but at the same time suggesting the DOJ will be lenient on small gifts or favors to foreign officials — exactly the kind of loopholes companies love to use.
Also, unlike the usual DOJ approach, Blanche suggested they might not take on cases involving foreign companies that only do business with the U.S. through banks — which is how most major corruption happens.
Translation: If you’re a big company with smart lawyers and overseas accounts, congratulations — Trump’s DOJ is now giving you a pass.
But if a lawyer points out this reality on LinkedIn, that’s a problem.
Welcome to Trump’s upside-down Justice Department: easy on corporate crime, obsessed with controlling the story, and ready to scare anyone who says the emperor has no clothes.
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