There is nothing like applying economies of scale to mete out justice. The agents of good combine forces to root out fraud, abuse and other elements of lawlessness. The greedy wolves are kept at bay.

You might think it is a good thing when federal and state agencies with similar missions coordinate their crime-fighting investigative efforts. It happens quite frequently under what are known as parallel proceedings. Enforcement arms of federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and state attorneys general frequently work with each other and with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Indeed, the DOJ has published guidelines for conducting parallel investigations and regularly enters into agreements (called “memoranda of understanding”) with other agencies to outline how they should coordinate their efforts.