Charges against Former Volkswagen CEO Must be Followed by Trial

Media Contacts
Mike Litt

Director, Consumer Campaign, U.S. PIRG Education Fund

U.S. PIRG

Statement by Mike Litt, consumer campaign director, on this evening’s news about criminal charges against former Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn

“The Volkswagen emission scandal was one of the biggest crimes against consumers in history.

It’s time for all individuals responsible, including those at the very top, to face the consequences for deceiving consumers and polluting our air.

We are pleased to see criminal charges filed against those who might be responsible. But in order for justice to be carried out, they must be tried and face the consequences.

We encourage the Department of Justice to work with the German government to extradite Mr. Winterkorn and other VW executives who have been charged so they can be tried for violating our laws and defrauding consumers.”

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U.S. PIRG Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at uspirgedfund.org.

Today, U.S. PIRG released a report on the ways that funding from the civil settlements with VW could be used by states to promote the use of electric buses to mitigate the pollution caused by the VW scandal.

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