US Justice Department using fraud law to target companies on DEI, WSJ reports

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

December 28, 2025 10:01 PM EST Updated 8 hours ago


Dec 28 (Reuters) - The Trump administration has launched investigations into the use of diversity initiatives in hiring and promotion at major U.S. companies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Google (GOOGL.O) and Verizon (VZ.N) are among a list of companies that have received Justice Department demands for documents and information about their workplace programs, the report said, citing people familiar with the investigations. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Verizon, Google, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

The probes are being conducted under the False Claims Act, the report said, adding that companies under scrutiny include sectors like automotive, pharmaceuticals, defense, and utilities, and some have met in person with Justice Department officials.

The False Claims Act is a federal civil law that allows the government to recover funds lost due to fraud.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/us-justice-department-using-fraud-law-target-companies-dei-wsj-reports-2025-12-29/

[multigraincracker]

1. Worried about DEI, not PEDO?

Vote Blue and save our children.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Sounds like the perfect shakedown acheme for the fascists to take more money.

[NCDem47]

4. Yup. Shake those trees for more money.

Someone should create a "Trump Mob Boss Channel" to just to report 24/7 all this extortion.

But, that's the plan all along. If you're going to do it, do it in a way that's its EVERYWHERE and ALL THE TIME so watchdogs can't keep up.

[wolfie001]

3. white christo-fascism is 100% against the interests and ideals of America from 1965 and afterwards

Before 1965, it was a KKKrapshoot. fat orange imbecile really constructed a 24/7/365 shitstorm here. Embarrassing and sick sick sick.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Google could bankrupt this country if it wanted to.

I almost wish they would do it.

Just start litigating the shit out of the regime. Use the 'spaghetti wall method' and throw lots of things at them.

Keep the JustUS department in the courtroom.

[lonely bird]

6. Sue the fuck out of the administration

And Trump personally. Every day he should get served with papers.

[Eugene]

7. another Project 2025 deliverable: prosecute "anti-white racism"

"Diversity discriminates against white people" is a long standing right-wing talking point. The False Claims Act is a new but not surprising approach. To the right, restorative justice is a scam, as white people are due reparations from the "race hustlers."

[GiqueCee]

8. Sweet Jesus on a pogo stick...

... so now common human decency (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) is a crime. FUCK these psychotic monsters!

[EuterpeThelo]

9. And he's getting away with this crap

...because MY industry, BigLaw, showed how quickly they'd bend the knee instead of fighting back. The firms that HAVE resisted in court have, so far, won every. single. challenge. because his behavior towards us is so blatantly unconstitutional.

That didn't stop what I call the "death star" firms (Skadden, Latham, K&E, etc.) from tripping all over themselves to make a deal with the devil. Some of those who capitulated hadn't even gotten notification they'd been targeted by one of his ridiculous EOs that aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

My firm is in the top 25 of the AmLaw 100 and received an EEOC letter but wasn't targeted by an EO. There was a period in March/April that I was majorly freaking out, because we were watching firms make deals left and right. Offering that monster pro bono work would have been a deal-breaker for me.

My family's security at the moment rests solely on me. What the hell was I going to do if we caved??? I kept posting stuff on LinkedIn reminding our leadership about our firm's history - our first case in 1912 was AGAINST the White Star line on behalf of a Titanic survivor. In the 1940s, one of our partners took a sabbatical to be one of the top prosecutors at Nuremberg, and we were the first big firm to have a woman as our managing partner, way back in 1998.

In the end, they sort of mini-caved - we kept our DEI program but renamed it something with bigger words that might confuse these troglodytes. However, almost every other firm that would pay me what I make now DID full-on cave, and none are offering remote jobs anymore, so I unfortunately kind of just have to suck that up. We did have a couple departures over it, including a partner who started a group of biglaw attorneys that are committed to resistance; they file amicus briefs and take other actions in support of the rule of law.