Since 1934, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Tax Division has been responsible for handling both DOJ’s civil and criminal tax enforcement. The Tax Division works with the IRS to oversee criminal investigations and the prosecution of tax crimes (supervising and coordinating with local United States Attorneys) and engage in civil enforcement activities including
Recent Federal and State Actions Put Real Estate in the Enforcement Spotlight
My colleague Sydney Sznajder and I recently posted an article on the Husch Blackwell website outlining how federal prosecutors are turning their attention to cases that further the administration’s regulatory priorities. Part of this focus falls upon commercial real estate, where there is increasing scrutiny of foreign investment in real estate, as well as international
DOJ’s Revised Corporate Enforcement Policy in Action
On May 12, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced revisions to its Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). As stated by Matthew Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, the purpose of the revised CEP is to incentivize companies to “come forward, come clean, reform, and cooperate with the government in efficient investigations
DOJ’s Continued Focus on Healthcare Fraud and FCA Enforcement: What 2025 Means for Providers and Compliance Professionals
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it abundantly clear: healthcare fraud remains at the top of its enforcement priorities for 2025 and beyond. In a May 2025 memorandum, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti outlined the Criminal Division’s renewed commitment to “focus, fairness, and efficiency” in the fight against white-collar crime—with healthcare
Impact of Shutdown on Certain Federal Enforcement Agencies
There have been nearly two dozen federal government shutdowns since 1976, and while shutdowns can’t be said to be rare, it is relatively infrequent that they last very long. Only five times during that span has a shutdown lasted longer than one week. As we write this post, we are on Day 3 of the
Voluntary Disclosure Leads to FCPA Declination
In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to prosecute an insurance company for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), marking the first action of its kind since the DOJ paused FCPA prosecutions earlier this year. DOJ’s decision came in response to the company’s voluntary self-disclosure. Importantly, this decision allows the company to avoid criminal charges in connection with bribes allegedly paid by employees of its foreign subsidiary for customer referrals for products. As part of the resolution with DOJ, the company will disgorge approximately $4.7 million in profits that are tied to the misconduct.
Cybersecurity Compliance Under the False Claims Act: DOJ Enforcement, CMMC, and What Contractors Need to Know
Recent Settlements
On July 31, 2025, the DOJ announced that a California-based defense contractor, and its private equity owner Gallant Capital Partners agreed to pay $1.75 million to resolve allegations that they knowingly failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the Department of the Air Force. The government acknowledged that the companies
Check Out our New Monthly Webinar Series
On September 23, we launched our Government Enforcement, Compliance & Investigations webinar series, a new monthly webinar program covering Department of Justice criminal enforcement, False Claims Act, antitrust, and state attorney general topics.
In the kickoff webinar, Jody Rudman, Wendy Arends, Matt Diehr, and I joined in a broad discussion on government enforcement. Jody and I
PPP Loan Fraud Civil Enforcement through the False Claims Act
During the first eight months of 2025, our team has paid close attention to the Trump administration’s strategy for civil and criminal enforcement concerning fraud related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. In April, Jonathan Porter and Robert Peabody discussed the Department of Justice’s use of the False Claims Act (FCA)—a civil enforcement tool—to enforce potentially criminal COVID-related fraud. In May, Rebecca Furdek, Kyle Gilster, and Emily Loftis explained the framework for ongoing PPP loan audits and investigations, followed in August by a mid-year update regarding enforcement trends and notable cases.
These and other thought leadership pieces address the origination of the PPP loan landscape during COVID-19; the rise of audits, investigations, and enforcement actions through which these and similar loans have been scrutinized; and the basic elements of the civil and criminal enforcement frameworks used to prosecute fraudulent conduct in connection with these loans.
This post explores the federal government’s ongoing efforts to combat PPP-related fraud, focusing on emerging civil enforcement trends and theories of liability under the False Claims Act.
DOJ and DHS Announce New Task Force to Counter Tariff Evasion
On August 29, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a new Trade Fraud Task Force, which will leverage resources from DOJ’s Civil and Criminal Divisions as well as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enforce tariff and duties evasion, smuggling, and other import violations. The initiative furthers the Trump Administration’s “America First Trade Policy” announced on Inauguration Day and in Executive Order 14243, which promotes information-sharing between agencies to support the administration’s overall goals of combating waste, fraud, and abuse.