Unitrans International, a Virginia defense contracting company, agreed Wednesday to pay $45 million to settle criminal obstruction charges and False Claims Act allegations brought by the Department of Justice for illegally shipping construction materials to Afghanistan through Iran. Unitrans provided logistical support to Anham, a Dubai Free Zone company incorporated under the laws of the [...]
US authorities on Thursday filed charges and sanctions against two Russian nationals who allegedly run a cyber theft operation known as Evil Corp. The organization used malware to steal personal banking information from victims in more than 40 countries, netting them more than $100 million in stolen funds. The two nationals are named in an [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in cases concerning the statute of limitations in § 1113(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Rule 59(e) of Civil Procedure for a motion to alter or amend a judgment. Intel Corp. Investment Policy Committee v. Sulyma asks the court to determine whether the [...]
A judge in Hidalgo County, Texas, granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday that prevents a group that has sought to build a portion of the border wall from working on the construction. The temporary restraining order seeks to “preserve the status quo” of the area until a hearing can take place. The order is set [...]
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made a televised statement Thursday urging the House to move forward with the impeachment proceedings. She said, “The president leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.” She urged the democratic leadership to draft the [...]
Four legal scholars appeared before the US House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to help guide the conversation on the constitutional standard for impeachment. On Tuesday the Intelligence Committee concluded their investigation and approved a report recommending impeachment. Wednesday’s hearings mark a new phase in the impeachment process as the Judiciary Committee decides whether to draft [...]
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Wednesday that the protected status of the name “Aceto Balsamico di Modena” does not extend to the non-geographic terms in the name. The ruling favored the German vinegar producer Balema, which uses “balsamico” and “deutscher balsamico” to market vinegar-based products made from local wines. A group of Italian [...]
The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Tuesday requiring intervention in China over the mass detention centers located in the Xinjiang program. The legislation’s focus is on Beijing’s detainment of two million Muslim Uighur citizens. “The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which was passed 407-1 in the Democratic Party-controlled House, requires U.S. President [...]
The US Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in cases concerning how courts should determine the ownership of tax refunds paid to affiliated corporate groups and whether federal law preempts state law claims for the cleanup of hazardous waste beyond what the US Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) has ordered. The first case, Rodriguez v. FDIC, [...]
The US House Intelligence Committee approved a report on Tuesday summarizing the evidence it has collected in regards to the impeachment inquiry. The vote, which was cast down party lines, will send the report to the House Judiciary Committee. The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report highlights two instances of presidential misconduct: withholding Ukrainian aid in exchange [...]
