DOJ Ignition Probe Finds Criminal Wrongdoing by GM

Federal regulators are closing in on General Motors over its ignition switch safety scandal. On top of NHTSA’s record $35 million penalty for delayed recalls and an extension of their “babysitting” the automaker’s safety reporting and processes, the U.S. Department of Justice may be close to finalizing a landmark settlement with GM after finding criminal wrongdoing in its year-long investigation into the ignition switch crisis. The New York Times has reported that sources estimate the penalty imposed on GM will exceed the record $1.2 billion fine Toyota paid for its unintended acceleration vehicle defect. GM’s faulty ignition switches have now been linked to at least 107 deaths and nearly 200 injuries eligible to receive compensation from the restitution fund, totaling hundreds of millions in additional payouts.