Justice Dept. kills cases cracking down on auto emissions cheating

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: January 21, 2026 / 6:36 PM EST / CBS News


Washington — The Justice Department on Wednesday ordered federal prosecutors to stop pursuing criminal charges and drop all pending cases targeting the sale of illicit "defeat devices" that are used to tamper with air pollution control systems in diesel-powered vehicles, according to a memo seen by CBS News.

The edict, issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, marks the first time that the Justice Department has formally taken steps to scale back environmental criminal enforcement since President Trump took office in January 2025. In the memo, Blanche wrote that he was taking this step "to ensure consistent and fair prosecution under the law, as well as to ensure the best use of Department resources," according to a copy reviewed by CBS News.

Although the Trump administration took drastic steps throughout 2025 to roll back environmental rules targeting greenhouse gas emissions, many of those actions focused on regulations or civil enforcement, as opposed to criminal environmental enforcement.

In justifying the decision, Blanche cited a new and untested legal theory that runs counter to conclusions reached by both career federal prosecutors and attorneys for the Environmental Protection Agency, according to internal government records reviewed by CBS and multiple sources familiar with the matter. The theory posits that the violations could not be prosecuted as crimes under the Clean Air Act, and could only be pursued as civil offenses.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-auto-emissions-cheating-cases/

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They are just making shit up now. And people wonder why some bills are thousands of pages long.

[groundloop]

1. Obviously some MAGAt associated with those devices kissed tRump's ass

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. If this regime had it's way, we would be going back to '73 standards for vehicle emissions.

[Javaman]

3. all hail the "rolling coal" assholes! nt

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. "The theory posits that the violations... could only be pursued as civil offenses."

Okay, fine. Class actions all round against manufacturers, dealers, and the Department of Justice.

Over and over and over. Let's see how they like their position then. Tie the entire department up in litigation. Subpoena every high ranking member of that department for deposition. Make their lives miserable, or make them stop pretending that they care about justice in any way.

[dalton99a]

5. The new Dark Ages will have dark skies to match

[vapor2]

6. They want to kill us either by the air we breathe and/or the food we eat