Establishment of the Corporate Fraud Task Force

Executive Order 13271 of July 9, 2002

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.