Justice Department says it's shining a spotlight on corporate wrong-doing

Justice Department says it's shining a spotlight¹ on corporate² wrong-doing

Transcript³

Prosecutions⁴ of white collar crime have been declining for years. But the Justice Department is trying to change that. It's taking steps to bring more accountability to corporate America.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Prosecutions of white-collar crime have been declining for years. But the Justice Department is trying to change that. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE⁵: Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco says there's a simple reason why she's put a spotlight on corporate wrongdoing.

LISA MONACO: If a corporation breaks a law, if their executives or their employees break the law and there isn't accountability, well, then people are going to lose faith in the justice system.

JOHNSON: Monaco brings special insight to the challenge. As a young lawyer, she worked on the Enron Task Force, prosecuting⁶ executives at the company that collapsed⁷ under scrutiny⁸ of its finances. Years later, in the private sector⁹, she sat on several corporate boards. That experience led her to pay special attention to a company's culture.

MONACO: This is about paying now and investing in compliance¹⁰ and rule-following and setting that tone from the top, or paying later, when the Justice Department conducts its investigation¹¹ and imposes consequences.

JOHNSON: The Justice Department has embedded¹² a squad¹³ of FBI agents alongside prosecutors¹⁴ in Washington who build fraud cases. Monaco directed those investigators¹⁵ to consider the full range of a company's misconduct, past and present.

MONACO: We are very, very serious about imposing¹⁶ consequences for repeat offenders¹⁷.

JOHNSON: DOJ is also requiring companies to turn over information about all of the employees who took part in fraud, and to focus on individual accountability. That makes sense to Sherine Ebadi. She spent 10 years investigating complex financial crimes for the FBI.

SHERINE EBADI: People don't understand why the CEO didn't get in trouble. And yet, the company has some mark on their record. And the CEO can just go work somewhere else.

JOHNSON: Ebadi helped build the bank fraud case against political consultant¹⁸ Paul Manafort before she left to join the investigations¹⁹ company Kroll.

EBADI: These cases take a long time because you've got to get it right. There's a lot of work to be done. It's not like in the movies where you have a search warrant and you get the information back the same day.

JOHNSON: In fact, Ebadi says, untangling complex financial schemes can take so long that they span presidential administrations, when priorities can change.

EBADI: Policy is one thing. And how that policy actually plays out is another.

JOHNSON: Jeff Hauser directs the Revolving²⁰ Door Project, where he follows corporate and political corruption²¹. He wants to see justice unleash²² its power to police corporate wrongdoing, the kind that hurts people every day.

JEFF HAUSER: What happens? Boeing planes don't fly. Flint Water kills. Wells Fargo cheats. This is happening across the economy, and it's bad.

JOHNSON: Hauser says that kind of accountability is long overdue²³.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE SONG, "RAW LIFE")

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

13 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

14 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

15 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

17 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

18 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

19 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

20 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。

23 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。