In an attempt to pressure the Justice Department to alter the way it investigates corporate fraud, a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday formally introduced legislation aimed at preventing prosecutors from forcing companies to waive the attorney-client privilege in order to avoid indictment. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the outgoing chairman of the committee, said on the Senate floor that the DOJ had not moved quickly enough to change policies that he said encroached on corporate defendants’ constitutional right to counsel.

“I see no need for the Justice Department to publicly express a policy that encourages waiver of attorney-client privilege,” Specter said. “Especially where the policy is backed by the heavy hammer of possible criminal charges.”

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]