WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Department of Justice announced Dec. 14 that it collected more than $15.3 billion in civil and criminal actions in fiscal year 2016 ending Sept. 30.
This amount represents more than five times the $3 billion appropriated budget given to the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions of the Justice Department combined during the fiscal year.
“Every day, the men and women of the Department of Justice work tirelessly to enforce our laws, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used properly and that the American people are protected from exploitation and abuse,” Lynch said.
“Today’s announcement is a testament to that work, and it makes clear that our actions deliver a significant return on public investment. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this year’s collections possible, and I want to emphasize that the department remains committed to the well-being of our people and our nation.”
Among the largest settlements were the $2.96 billion settlement with Goldman Sachs Group, the $2.6 billion settlement with Morgan Stanley & Company and the $1.2 billion settlement with Wells Fargo Bank, all of which were cases relating to residential mortgage lending activities.