Congressional Investigations

Overview

The Crowell & Moring Congressional Investigations team has deep and extensive experience conducting and responding to Congressional investigations and related criminal, civil and other legal matters that impact corporations and individuals. Our team has decades of experience representing hundreds of corporations, officers and directors, government officials, and high profile individuals in investigations before Congress, the SEC, the DOJ, the CFTC, and state attorneys general. We have a broad bench of experience to help businesses and individuals navigate crises, protect brand, reputation, and sensitive business information, and mitigate overall exposure. We also have the ability to build high tech, social media savvy press teams to provide strategy and assistance in telling the client’s story in these matters. 

Congressional investigations can take numerous forms, from a mere letter or informal inquiry, to a subpoena for documents or witness interview, or a public hearing. We advise clients at every stage of a Congressional inquiry with a particular emphasis on protecting clients in matters generating significant public interest. Our team is highly skilled at leveraging our collective government and defense experience to minimize reputational risk and achieve the best outcome for our individual and corporate clients.

Our multidisciplinary, bipartisan team has experience representing clients before Congressional investigative and oversight committees and in parallel criminal and regulatory investigations including witness interviews, testimony, and responses to document requests. Our government experience includes leading investigations as Congressional and committee counsel; serving as a senior member of an independent counsel’s office; defending government agencies and agency employees; and prosecuting federal and state criminal cases. Our collective experience encompasses all aspects of any potential congressional investigation. For a complete list of our government experience, please click here.

Representative Matters

Our representative matters have included allegations of public corruption, procurement and contracting fraud, ethics violations, wrongdoing by government agency employees, and a host of corporate business practices that have garnered public and congressional attention. Below is a sample of our representative engagements in connection with congressional investigations:

  • Represented numerous government contractors in connection with Congressional investigations of potential procurement fraud, contracting improprieties, or sanctions violations.
  • Counseled large Affordable Health Care (ACA) health insurance exchange vendor during investigations by multiple Congressional committees, including House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; House Energy & Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; Senate Finance Committee; and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, including responses to multiple requests for information, and drafting testimony for oversight hearing, leading to no action against our client.
  • Defense of an energy company and its Utah subsidiaries in multiple parallel Congressional and inspector general investigations and a federal grand jury investigation concerning multiple fatality accident at one of the mines, which concluded with a misdemeanor plea and fine for the lowest corporate subdivision and no enforcement action against any company personnel.
  • Represented private equity fund portfolio company in House Energy & Commerce investigation into Chinese environmental manufacturing issues with no consequence for client.
  • Represented senior IRS official during investigations by Senate Finance Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, including depositions and live hearing testimony, concluding with no congressional or agency consequence for official.
  • Represented former tax partner from AmLaw 50 law firm in tax shelter fraud investigations by Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and Department of Justice, including live testimony before committee and response to grand jury subpoena, resulting in no consequence for attorney.
  • Represented former senior staffer to Senator Ted Stevens (R-AL) in congressional probe relating to Alaska kickbacks investigation, resulting in no consequence to lobbyist.
  • Represented former Greenberg Traurig lobbyist in criminal and congressional investigations relating to his role as a member of "Team Abramoff;" client avoided any criminal or civil charges or congressional consequence.
  • Represented CEO in Senate Ethics investigation of U.S. Senator, resulting in no consequence for CEO.
  • Represented former DOJ chief of staff in Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into White House United States Attorney firing scandal.
  • Represented House Member’s chief of staff and other staffers in House Ethics Committee investigation with no consequence for staff.
  • Advised chairman of insurance company and assisted in preparation of his testimony before a House task force investigating money laundering and terrorism financing through arts and antiquities.
  • Represented U.S. high tech company in Senate Judiciary Committee, Antitrust Subcommittee review of major digital marketing merger.
  • Represented U.S. pharmaceutical company in Senate Judiciary Committee, Antitrust Subcommittee review of international drug company merger.
  • Representing U.S. defense contractor in House Oversight & Government Reform Committee investigation.

Professionals