Competition & Regulation

CFA Opposes Attempts to Make Criminally Prosecuting Companies and Corporate Executives More Difficult

In a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, CFA asks the committee to oppose inclusion in any criminal justice reform package of “mens rea” (state of mind) provisions that would make it harder for prosecutors to criminally prosecute companies and corporate executives that engage in criminal wrongdoing. While CFA does not work on issues of criminal justice reform, we are broadly supportive of the efforts to address issues of mass incarceration which are major drivers of poverty and inequality and are devastating many families and communities, especially communities of color. Provisions that would make it harder to prosecute corporate crime or white-collar crime, however, are not aimed at addressing these aspects of the criminal justice system and should not be part of the current discussion of criminal justice reform.