Justice Dept. kills cases cracking down on auto emissions cheating

Main Idea: The Justice Department ordered prosecutors to drop and stop pursuing criminal cases over diesel emissions cheating, a move linked to a new legal theory backed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Trump administration.

Key Points:

• The memo tells federal prosecutors to end pending criminal cases involving “defeat devices” that tamper with diesel emissions systems.
• Blanche said the shift is meant to ensure fair enforcement and better use of Justice Department resources.
• The decision could affect more than a dozen cases and more than 20 investigations across the country.
• Critics inside the government say the move conflicts with earlier views that these emissions violations can be charged as crimes under the Clean Air Act.