EXECUTIVE
ORDER
EO 13271
Effective Date: July 09, 2002

Responsible Office: Office of General Counsel
Subject: Establishment of the Corporate Fraud Task Force

        
                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to strengthen the efforts of the 
                Department of Justice and Federal, State, and local 
                agencies to investigate and prosecute significant 
                financial crimes, recover the proceeds of such crimes, 
                and ensure just and effective punishment of those who 
                perpetrate financial crimes, it is hereby ordered as 
                follows:

                Section 1. Establishment. The Attorney General shall 
                immediately establish within the Department of Justice 
                a Corporate Fraud Task Force (Task Force). Without 
                regard to any other provision of this order, the Task 
                Force shall be subject to the authority of the Attorney 
                General under applicable law.

                Sec. 2. Membership and Operation. Subject to section 4 
                of this order, the Task Force shall have the following 
                members:

                    (a) the Deputy Attorney General, who shall serve as 
                Chair;
                    (b) the Assistant Attorney General (Criminal 
                Division);
                    (c) the Assistant Attorney General (Tax Division);
                    (d) the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
                Investigation;
                    (e) the United States Attorney for the Southern 
                District of New York;
                    (f) the United States Attorney for the Eastern 
                District of New York;
                    (g) the United States Attorney for the Northern 
                District of Illinois;
                    (h) the United States Attorney for the Eastern 
                District of Pennsylvania;
                    (i) the United States Attorney for the Central 
                District of California;
                    (j) the United States Attorney for the Northern 
                District of California;
                    (k) the United States Attorney for the Southern 
                District of Texas; and
                    (l) such other officers or employees of the 
                Department of Justice as the Attorney General may from 
                time to time designate.

                The Deputy Attorney General shall convene and direct 
                the work of the Task Force in fulfilling all its 
                functions under this order. The Deputy Attorney General 
                may permit, when he deems it appropriate, the designee 
                of a member of the Task Force, including those 
                designated under section 4 of this order, to 
                participate in lieu of the member. The Deputy Attorney 
                General shall convene the first meeting of the Task 
                Force within 10 days of the date of this order and 
                shall thereafter convene the Task Force at such times 
                as he deems appropriate.

                Sec. 3. Functions. Consistent with the constitutional 
                authority of the President, the authorities assigned to 
                the Attorney General by law, and other applicable law, 
                the Task Force shall:

                    (a) provide direction for the investigation and 
                prosecution of cases of securities fraud, accounting 
                fraud, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, tax fraud 
                based on such predicate offenses, and other related 
                financial crimes committed by commercial entities and 
                directors, officers, professional advisers, and 
                employees thereof (hereinafter ``financial crimes''), 
                when such cases are determined by the Deputy Attorney 
                General, for purposes of this order, to be significant;
                    (b) provide recommendations to the Attorney General 
                for allocation and reallocation of resources of the 
                Department of Justice for investigation and

                prosecution of significant financial crimes, recovery 
                of proceeds from such crimes to the extent permitted by 
                law, and other matters determined by the Task Force 
                from time to time to be of the highest priority in the 
                investigation and prosecution of such crimes; and
                    (c) make recommendations to the President, through 
                the Attorney General, from time to time for:

  (i) action to enhance cooperation among departments, agencies, and 
entities of the Federal Government in the investigation and prosecution of 
significant financial crimes;

  (ii) action to enhance cooperation among Federal, State, and local 
authorities responsible for the investigation and prosecution of 
significant financial crimes;

  (iii) changes in rules, regulations, or policy to improve the effective 
investigation and prosecution of significant financial crimes; and

  (iv) recommendations to the Congress regarding such measures as the 
President may judge necessary and expedient relating to significant 
financial crimes, or the investigation or prosecution thereof.

                Sec. 4. Additional Participation for Specified 
                Functions. In the Task Force's performance of the 
                functions set forth in subsection 3(c) of this order, 
                and to the extent permitted by law, the following 
                officers of the executive branch shall be members of 
                the Task Force in addition to such other officers of 
                the Federal Government as the Deputy Attorney General 
                deems appropriate:

                    (a) the Secretary of the Treasury;
                    (b) the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange 
                Commission;
                    (c) the Chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading 
                Commission;
                    (d) the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
                Commission; and
                    (e) the Chairman of the Federal Communications 
                Commission.

                Sec. 5. Internal Management Purpose. This order is 
                intended to improve the internal management of the 
                Federal Government. This order is not intended to, and 
                does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or equity or otherwise 
                against the United States, its departments, agencies, 
                entities, instrumentalities, officers, or employees, or 
                any other person.

                Sec. 6. Termination. The Task Force shall terminate 
                when directed by the President or, with the approval of 
                the President, by the Attorney General.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                     July 9, 2002.
        

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