Month: September 2024

Source: United States Department of Justice

The United States has filed a civil lawsuit against Repwire LLC, a Florida Corporation that imports wire and cables. The lawsuit alleges that Repwire made false statements to customs officials in importing aluminum wire into the United States. The lawsuit also names as defendants Repwire’s manager, Jose Pigna, and insurer, American Alternative Insurance Corporation.   

The United States’ complaint contends that Repwire, through gross negligence or negligence, misrepresented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the imported wire’s classification code and country of origin. Repwire allegedly falsely classified the imported wire from China as aluminum wire with connectors instead of wire without connectors, and after import duties on the former were subsequently raised, Repwire allegedly then falsely identified the country of origin for various entries of its merchandise as Singapore or Korea. Both of these alleged misrepresentations resulted in Repwire failing to pay the appropriate amount of duties owed on its merchandise.

“The Justice Department is committed to pursuing individuals and companies who evade customs duties or otherwise engage in unfair trade practices that harm U.S. manufacturers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to employ all of our tools to ensure that U.S. manufacturers are competing on a level playing field.”

“CBP takes its trade mission of protecting the U.S. economy very seriously as we strive to maintain fair trade and preserve American jobs from predatory practices,” said Executive Director Susan Thomas of Cargo and Conveyance Security, Office of Field Operations, CBP. “These civil penalties should serve as a warning to those who attempt to do harm to our economy and American businesses.”

The complaint alleges that Repwire, acting through Pigna, avoided various duties owed on the imported wire, including Section 301 duties, which are owed on certain Chinese merchandise, including aluminum wires without connectors, and anti-dumping and countervailing duties associated with Chinese aluminum wire. Antidumping and countervailing duties are trade remedies that help protect domestic industries from unfair trade practices by foreign businesses and countries, such as government subsidies or below market sales.

The complaint seeks the recovery of over $11 million in import duties and up to $62 million in civil penalties.  

CBP’s Electronics Center of Excellence and Expertise and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami investigated the case. CBP and HSI are the agencies responsible for enforcing U.S. laws related to the importation of merchandise into the United States, including the collection of duties and assessment of penalties.

Trial Counsel Daniel Hoffman of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, National Courts Section, handled the case.

The case, which is filed in the Court of International Trade, is captioned United States v. Repwire LLC, and Jose Pigna, and American Alternative Insurance Corporation, No. 24-00173. 

To combat trade fraud, including avoidance of import duties, the Justice Department created a Trade Fraud Task Force. The Task Force partners with CBP and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with United States trade laws.

The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

Source: United States Department of Justice

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you for that introduction, Rosie.

I’m grateful for your leadership and the critical work you and your team do every day to eradicate gender-based violence.

It’s an honor to be with all of you as we commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

I’d like to add a special welcome to the many Department alumnae here today — welcome back. 

And of course, to the leaders, advocates, and survivors who were the engine behind VAWA years ago — and who continue to push all of us forward — thank you for your service and your presence today.

The work of so many here today — and so many more beyond this Great Hall — produced the first comprehensive law to address violence against women in our nation’s history.

For so many of you, this anniversary carries particular significance — I know it does for me. 

I was privileged to play a small part in the passage of the original Violence Against Women Act 30 years ago as a young staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  

As we all know, President Biden led the charge for VAWA as Chairman of that committee.

But the drafting of this legislation was not a dry legal exercise — nor was it about making technical fixes to the U.S. code.

No, at its core, it was about changing attitudes and righting a fundamental wrong.

It was about bringing an epidemic of violence out of the shadows — and yes — by force of will and determination of so many — it was about asking the public and Congress to confront the woeful failure of our criminal justice system to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.  

To shed light on what was happening, Chairman Biden charged his staff to make this case.

And with advocates and survivors, and law enforcement, that’s what we did.

I was just out of college — not even a baby lawyer at the time.

My job was to respond to constituent mail and basically do whatever else the lawyers on staff told me to do.

And lucky for me, they put me to work.

One project in particular stood out.

The idea was to document a week in the life of women in America, exposing the epidemic of violence against them:

• To lay bare the effect on everyday lives;

• To expose the problem of repeat offenders and the failure of protective orders;

• To describe its impact on children.

Working on that report, on that committee, three decades ago, I learned from survivors why we needed the Violence Against Women Act. 

I read and responded to countless letters — mostly from women — who wrote in heart-wrenching detail about the brutal violence and excruciating pain that they were suffering, often at the hands of a spouse or intimate partner.

We talked with rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, emergency rooms, and police stations across the country to gather data that showed how our justice system was failing victims and survivors and failing to hold perpetrators accountable.

The statistics at that time painted a grim picture:

• 98% of rape survivors never saw their attacker caught, tried, and imprisoned;

• Fewer than half of people arrested for rape were convicted; and

• Almost half of convicted rapists could expect to serve a year or less in jail.

But in September of 1994, that began to change.

For the first time, VAWA provided legal protection and resources to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

It empowered federal law enforcement to go after perpetrators who crossed state lines — and required state authorities to enforce protection orders from other states — freeing survivors to leave violent situations.

It closed a major loophole — codifying what should have always been obvious: that there is no such thing as “consent” to sexual acts between federal officers and those held in their custody.

It provided legal relief for battered immigrants and created the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which remains a vital resource today.

And for the first time, VAWA provided critical federal funding to those who touch survivors — from law enforcement to social services — to access programs, tools, and trainings.

The landmark law we celebrate today profoundly changed how our country protects survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Of course, as this gathering knows well, none of this happened overnight.

It took years of painstaking, brave work by survivors and advocates across the country — building a nationwide movement to end violence against women and support the rights and dignity of survivors.

It was these survivors and advocates:

• Who started the domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers;

• Who lobbied state legislatures to outlaw marital rape and protect victims against their abusers;

• Who fought against harmful myths and stereotypes, urging law enforcement to take violence against women seriously;

• Who organized for campus safety and accountability for offenders;

• Who formed victim-centered service organizations that continue to push for needed reforms today.

Without them, VAWA would not exist, and we would not be here today.

So, please join me in thanking those leaders, who were not only there in 1994 — but in 1984 and 1974 and 1964 and long before that.

Since VAWA’s enactment, we’ve increased justice for survivors and accountability for wrongdoers.

And today with the largest funding level ever — VAWA’s programs are providing: 

• More access to services, like transitional housing and legal support, for survivors;

• More resources to help law enforcement respond; and

• More capacity to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

Today we are also addressing the next frontier of gender-based violence — the proliferation of deep fake images and videos fueled by AI.

That’s why the Department is funding a new National Resource Center on Cybercrimes and awarding new Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes — bolstering training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges.

This anniversary recognizes the Violence Against Women Act and all of you who made it happen.

And it recognizes that VAWA has been transformative in so many ways — in law, in culture, in attitudes. 

It was transformative for me in another way.

The experience of working with those women lawyers on the Judiciary Committee — and on this legislation 30 years ago — inspired me to go to law school, to become a lawyer, and to go into public service.

I saw what you could do with the law to help people and protect victims.

I was exposed to my first mentors and role models.

I witnessed their relentless drive, smarts, and dedication to getting this law enacted.

They were helping bring about real change that would have an impact on people’s lives. 

These women — some of whom you will hear from in a moment — were instrumental to the passage of VAWA — and they were an example for me.

Without them, or that experience 30 years ago, I would not be here today.

I’m grateful to be able to recognize and thank them from this podium today:

• Cynthia Hogan

• Victoria Nourse

• Demetra Lambros

• Cathy Russell

Now, our progress to address gender-based violence has not been linear, and it’s far from finished.

The legacy of the Violence Against Women Act is in the courage, and the stories, and the voices of victims and survivors who made the original law possible.

And it’s in the future work by all of us to shape a safer world for women everywhere. 

Thank you.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Remarks as Delivered

Thank you, Rosie, for that generous introduction, and for everything you do for VAWA and for justice for violence against women. I am very honored to be able to welcome you to the Justice Department for the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Three decades ago, VAWA transformed our national response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Its enactment marked a paradigm shift — not just in the way we address gender-based violence, but in the way we understand it.

I was serving as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General when VAWA was originally enacted in 1994. In that role, I had an all-too-clear picture of the way that domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking were often handled in police stations, prosecutors’ offices, and courtrooms across the country.

As Attorney General Reno later described, many “representatives and participants in the criminal justice system looked at a domestic [violence] case and said, ‘That’s a domestic,’ and [just turned their back on it.]”

That was so, even though at the time, as Congress found, one-third of women murdered in America — approximately 4,000 per year — were murdered by present or former spouses or partners.

The same was true of sexual assault. During VAWA hearings, survivors and experts testified about the devastating effect of prevailing attitudes that distinguished between rape by a stranger, as compared to rape by an acquaintance, a date, or a partner — and that frequently put the blame on the victim.

Congress found that women reported 100,000 rapes to law enforcement in 1990 — more than in any previous year in American history. That figure was estimated to represent only a third of the true number. Another two-thirds of victims declined to report to police. Fewer than half of the reports resulted in arrests.

VAWA has helped to change that perception and reality. The Act gave the federal government tools to intervene in a sphere that had previously been largely the domain of state and local enforcement. It created new resources and authority to prevent and prosecute these crimes — and to support survivors.

In so doing, it sent a message: gender-based and intimate-partner violence is not just a private matter, not just a local matter, but a national crisis — one that our country was no longer willing to tolerate.

Today, officers, prosecutors, judges, families, and society at large understand what should have always been clear: domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are violent crimes. They cannot be ignored as somehow distinct or private. Today, we recognize that they are among the most serious crimes that our society faces.

We recognize the devastating, lifelong effects that gender-based violence can have on both the physical and mental well-being of survivors.

We recognize that domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous for first responders and victims alike.

We recognize that those who have engaged in sexual or domestic violence are far more likely to harm both current and future partners and children — as well as being a danger to the public at large.

We recognize that this danger multiplies when those individuals possess a firearm.

And we insist that the federal government has not just a duty, not just a role, but must intervene.

To return to the words that Attorney General Reno who said during VAWA’s enactment: we recognize that addressing domestic and sexual violence must be a “linchpin[] in the attack on violent crime.”

Today, as we take the opportunity to recognize the impact that VAWA has had on our country over the past 30 years, we also recognize what it took to ensure VAWA’s passage in 1994 and its reauthorization in 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2022.

And we recognize that we would not be here today if not for the survivors who offered their powerful, and often heartbreaking, testimony to their communities, with reporters, and in congressional hearings.

They made real for lawmakers and the American public the toll these crimes take on women, men, children, families, and entire communities.

We also would not be here without the advocates and experts who worked to amplify survivors’ stories and experiences and put forward solutions. They underscored the need for stronger protections to hold offenders accountable. And the need to increase access to services for victims in the aftermath of these terrible crimes.

Many of these advocates are here today. On behalf of the Justice Department and the American people, thank you.

Not yet — I have so much more to say.

The progress our country has made in addressing gender-based and intimate-partner violence is also the result of the work of professionals who have dedicated their lives to carrying out VAWA’s promise over the past 30 years.

I want to thank the service providers on the front lines who work every day with survivors to ensure that they continue to have a voice, that they are believed, and that they receive the support they need to heal and rebuild their lives. You are true heroes.

I want to thank our criminal justice partners — law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges — who ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, that the rule of law is upheld, and that survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

And finally, I want to thank my colleagues here at the Department of Justice, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to implement VAWA’s protections.

You develop policies and resources to improve investigations and prosecutions.

You administer millions of dollars in grant funds every year to support the protections and services that survivors need.

You enforce laws and prosecute cases in Indian Country, and advance efforts to end the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons.

You defend federal law protections — including in the last Supreme Court Term, when you successfully defended the ban on firearm possession by individuals subject to civil protection orders. And so much more.

Although my position at DOJ in 1994 gave me a grim view into the treatment of gender-based crimes before VAWA, it also gave me a vantage point to see the shift that followed. In 1995, that meant being there as Janet Reno stood up the original Office on Violence Against Women.

Since its creation, OVW has awarded and administered more than $11 billion in grants and other funding to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

I have had the opportunity to work with Rosie and her incredible OVW team — many of whom have been with the office since its founding. I am in awe of their passion, deep expertise, and commitment. I am moved by their relentless work to reach every person touched by these crimes, and to show by example that the Justice Department can be an effective and caring partner in this effort. Thank you, Rosie.

Today, we take stock of the progress that VAWA has advanced. But we also recognize that there is so much more to do.

The reality remains that, in the United States, more than one in three women experiences sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner within her lifetime. And Tribal and historically marginalized groups are disproportionately affected.

That is why it was so essential that Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2022. And it is why the Department of Justice remains committed to using every tool at our disposal to end domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking — and to support survivors.

As part of that effort, I announced this week that the Department is awarding a total of over $690 million in grants, all through programs created under VAWA.

Among these are awards of more than $171 million across all 50 states and six territories under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program. This program promotes a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors.

We are also awarding nearly $6 million under the Enhancing Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative. These funds will be used to promote effective policing and prosecution strategies.

We are also leveraging the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Today, I designated an initial set of 78 communities across the country, with more to follow, where we will surge Department resources to combat firearm violence against intimate partners and children.

We will designate Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to focus on this effort. And Justice Department agents and prosecutors will work hand in hand with community stakeholders to develop strategies and prioritize prosecutions for unlawful possession of a gun by those who have committed domestic violence offenses.

The program will build on the innovative initiatives that U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are already leading to target domestic violence in their districts.

That includes the Western District of Oklahoma’s Operation 922 program, which has charged hundreds of domestic abusers with federal firearms offenses to quickly remove abusers from the home, to protect the victims over whom the abusers exert control, and to safeguard law enforcement responding to domestic calls.

Together, we do everything, and we will do everything we can to get firearms out of the hands of those who have engaged in domestic abuse. In concert with our work to protect survivors and promote healing, this will save lives.

I know that for many of the people in this room, the success story of the Violence Against Women Act is personal. It reflects remarkable vision, decades of advocacy and hard work, steadfast commitment to survivors, and even triumph over personal tragedy.

To all of you, thank you. You have changed our world. You have saved, and you have improved countless lives.

l look forward to our continued work together.

Thank you for being here today.