6 Volkswagen executives indicted over emissions scandal
On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted six Volkswagen executives over the company's emissions scandal. Five of the indicted employees are in Germany; the sixth was arrested and charged earlier this week in Miami.
The indictments came alongside Volkswagen's announcement that it will plead guilty to three criminal charges for building engines with a "defeat device," which created a discrepancy in performance in government tests versus in real life. The charges include "conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and importing vehicles by using false statements," The Associated Press reported.
Volkswagen has agreed to pay a $4.3 billion penalty in a settlement with the Department of Justice, which The Associated Press noted is the "largest ever levied by the government against an automaker." Volkswagen previously reached a $15 billion settlement in the U.S., bringing its total fines over the emissions cheating scandal up to nearly $20 billion.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The investigation is still underway, meaning more Volkswagen executives could face charges.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published