Justice Department Watchdog Probing Handling of Stone Sentencing
The Justice Department has launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the handling of the criminal case of Roger Stone, former political adviser to President Donald Trump. The probe by the department’s inspector general will reportedly look into Attorney General William Barr’s February decision to override a sentencing recommendation for Stone made by rank-and-file prosecutors. The prosecutors recommended a sentence of seven to nine years in prison for Stone, but the department later filed another recommendation asking for a lighter sentence. The DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General would not “confirm or deny the existence of any ongoing investigation” to The Epoch Times. Meanwhile, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told media outlets that they “welcome the review.” She did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment. The revelation…
Melburnians will be slugged almost $5000 if caught trying to sneak into regional Victoria under a tough new penalty.
Victoria Police will crack down on regional travel as coronavirus rules ease outside of Melbourne at midnight on Sept 16.
The $4957 fine will apply to any adult who tries to travel out of the city without a lawful excuse.
Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said the fine was designed to deter people from Melbourne attempting to run the gauntlet.
“We do not want regional and rural communities to be put at risk by Melbourne metropolitan people,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“We don’t want the virus to spread again.”
Nugent said police would be checking more vehicles at roadblocks out of the city, inevitably leading to long delays.
“We’ll be checking every vehicle that is towing a caravan, a camper trailer or towing a boat or a jet ski, or that has a surfboard or fishing rods,” he said.
Callum Godde in Melbourne
Focus News: New $5000 Fine to Protect Regional Victoria
Daimler to Pay $2.2 Billion in Diesel Emissions Cheating Settlements
WASHINGTON—Daimler AG will pay $2.2 billion to resolve a U.S. government diesel emissions cheating investigation and claims from 250,000 U.S. vehicle owners, court documents show. The German automaker and its Mercedes-Benz USA LLC unit disclosed on Aug. 13 it had reached a settlement in principle resolving civil and environmental claims tied to 250,000 U.S. diesel cars and vans after the automaker used software to evade emissions rules. Daimler said in August expected costs of settlements with U.S. authorities would total $1.5 billion, settling with owners will cost another $700 million and also disclosed “further expenses of a mid three-digit-million EUR (euro) amount to fulfill requirements of the settlements. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen said the settlements, which follow a nearly five-year investigation, will “serve to deter any others who may…
