Attorney General Jeff Sessions Delivers Remarks at the Alliance Defending Freedom’s Summit on Religious Liberty

A Beverly Hills, California, resident pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns which did not report his offshore accounts in Germany and Israel and did not report the income earned on those accounts, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Nicholas T. Hanna of the Central District of California.

A federal court in Jackson, Mississippi, held that Kavivah Branson, aka Kavivah Bradley, has violated a permanent injunction entered against her on July 3, 2014, which barred her from preparing tax returns for others.

The rule of law is not simply about words written on paper. The culture of a society and the character of the people who enforce the law determine whether the rule of law endures.
Since we met last year in Beijing, the news media has reported several prominent challenges to the rule of law, including the lawless attacks on Sergei and Yulia Skirpal and Jamal Khashoggi. Last month, international attention focused on INTERPOL, as a result of the disappearance of President Meng Hongwei. Such events give rise to questions about whether our member countries abide by shared principles. In evaluating our actions at this General Assembly, observers may ask whether our votes reflect the values that we profess. We must stand for the rule of law.
INTERPOL exists to promote international police coordination and discourage departures from the law. We represent diverse forms of government. But if we serve with integrity, each of us functions as a trustee for our fellow citizens.
When our successors look back on how we dealt with the issues of our era, they will ask whether we honored our fiduciary duties.
First, did we develop the knowledge to understand our challenges?
Second, did we inculcate the wisdom to solve them?
Third, did we demonstrate the courage to defend our principles?
Fourth, did we maintain the resolve to achieve our goals?
I traveled here to speak about INTERPOL’s role in responding to the major innovation of our lives: the rise of a cyber-connected world.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker today released the following statement:
“Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), an important law protecting one of our most fundamental freedoms. RFRA was approved by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, passing the House unanimously and approved 97 to 3 in the Senate, and signed into law by President Clinton.

“This case underscores the necessity for foreign companies that opt to do business in the United States to comply with our Nation’s laws developed to protect human health and the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “A self-reporting regime, such as the one here, depends upon the honesty and integrity of the regulated parties. We hope that this case will chart a new course for Hyundai, and serve as a lesson for all companies that interact with our regulatory agencies.”

A federal grand jury sitting in Waco, Texas, has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging two Texas tax return preparers with conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and filing false personal income tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

A Collinsville, Virginia pharmacist was sentenced to 41 months in prison today for failing to account for and pay over employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia.

A Dallas, Texas area tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States and to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erin N. Cox for the Northern District of Texas.