Kurt Erskine

Jul 17, 2024 | jdsupra.com | Kurt Erskine

On June 26, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States released its opinion in Snyder v. United States, holding that 18 U.S.C. §666, relating to theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, forbids bribes to state and local officials but does not criminalize an official’s acceptance of gratuities for past acts. This decision follows a pattern in recent years of the Supreme Court weakening the government’s ability to use broad federal laws to prosecute public corruption cases.

Apr 23, 2024 | natlawreview.com | Kurt Erskine

On April 15, 2024, the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) released new guidance relating to a Pilot Program on Voluntary Self-Disclosures for Individuals, promising to offer protection from criminal prosecution in the form of non-prosecution agreements (“NPAs”) to insiders who voluntarily disclose corporate criminal misconduct to DOJ’s Criminal Division.

Sep 27, 2023 | natlawreview.com | Kurt Erskine

“And this email was shown to Jack Fisher's partnership law expert, Professor Cassady Brewer. And Professor Brewer told you that looking at this email, that the tax avoidance, in his professional opinion, was palpable. And when something is palpable, you can touch it, you can feel it.

Jul 27, 2023 | natlawreview.com | Kurt Erskine

Last week, the first federal criminal trial related to syndicated conservation easement (“SCE”) deals began with impaneling the jury and opening statements. Each of the Fisher defendants on trial, Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and Clayton Weibel, followed the government’s opening statement, which described an intricate scheme of “Lies and Deception” and presented an alternative explanation of the evidence to be presented to the jury.

Jul 21, 2023 | natlawreview.com | Kurt Erskine

The first criminal prosecution of syndicated conservation easement promoters began on July 18, 2023, with the government laying out its case against defendants Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and Clayton Weibel.