DOJ Says It's Not Backing Off Effort to Force UBS to ID Swiss Bank's US Clients
Contrary to a recent New York Times report, the U.S. Department of Justice says it has no intention of backing off a high-profile federal lawsuit that seeks to force a Swiss bank to disclose the names of thousands of American customers who might have used secret accounts to avoid paying taxes.
“While the department is always willing to consider settlement in any case, the suggestion that the department is planning to drop this suit is simply untrue. The department is continuing with the case against UBS and will file its brief asking the court to enforce the summons on June 30,” a DOJ spokesman tells Reuters.
The New York Times also acknowledges the DOJ’s denial of the newspaper’s earlier report, attributed to an unidentified U.S. official, that a settlement might be reached in the case by mid-July. Initially, the Times article notes, the DOJ declined to comment on the matter.
Details of the case, which is being heard in the Southern District of Florida, are discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post.
Additional coverage:
Blog of Legal Times: “DOJ: Suit Against Swiss Bank UBS Continues”
Updated at 6:45 p.m. to include link to BLT post.
