[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 28 (Monday, July 15, 2002)]
[Pages 1162-1164]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13271--Establishment of the Corporate Fraud Task Force

July 9, 2002

    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;

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    (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.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 July 9, 2002.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:15 a.m., July 10, 
2002]

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Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on July 
11.