video: Warren Speaks on Rigged Justice System & Rejecting GOP Proposals

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Thursday, February 04, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke on Wednesday about the rigged system of justice for corporate lawbreakers and also raised concerns about two Republican proposals that would make the system worse. 

"We have one set of laws on the books, but there are really two legal systems. One legal system is for big companies, for the wealthy and the powerful...In this legal system, instead of demanding actual punishment for breaking the law, the government regularly accepts token fines and phony promises to do better next time. The second legal system is for everyone else...In this legal system, the government locks up people up for decades, ruining lives over minor drug crimes, because that's what the law demands," said Senator Warren. 

Warren also battled back against Republican efforts to block criminal sentencing reform unless Congress includes a so-called mens rea amendment to make it harder for the government to prosecute corporate crimes. 

Warren also spoke out against a Republican bill scheduled for vote today in the house that would make it harder to investigate and prosecute bank fraud. 

"The American people expect better from us. They expect us to straighten out our criminal justice system and reform drug enforcement practices that do nothing but destroy lives and communities. They expect us to stand up to unjustified violence. They also expect us to protect the financial system and to hold Wall Street executives accountable when they break the law. They expect us to hold big companies accountable when they steal billions from taxpayers, when they rip off students or veterans or retirees or single moms, or when they cover up health or safety problems and people get sick, get hurt, or die because of it," said Warren. 

Last week, Senator Warren released Rigged Justice, the first report in an annual series that highlights the most egregious cases during the past year in which federal settlement failed to require meaningful accountability  to deter future wrongdoing and to protect taxpayers and families. 

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