Chamber Applauds KPMG Ruling

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue released the following statement on U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan's ruling that government prosecutors violated the Constitution by pressuring KPMG not to pay legal fees for employees accused of fraud:

"The Chamber strongly backs vigorous prosecution of wrongdoers, but not by trampling important Constitutional rights, including the right to be presumed innocent, to a fair trial, and to be represented by counsel of your own choosing.

"Judge Kaplan was right to point out the tremendous dangers of government prosecutors bullying and coercing defendants to win convictions, instead of ensuring justice. Unfortunately, it's behavior that's becoming too common, not just from Justice Department prosecutors, but from state attorneys general and regulatory agencies.

"The courts have provided a message to all those who would seek to abuse the power of the government or their position: they're watching, and they'll respond. The Chamber will use every resource at its disposal—including the filing of amicus briefs as we did in this case—to ensure that citizens enjoy the freedoms and protections guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

# # #

06-108