BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to impose tough new standards aimed at curbing instances of food-borne illness arising from tainted poultry. At a time when recent recalls of lettuce, deli meats, and ground beef are raising food safety worries among consumers, the USDA views this as a necessary step to calm an increasingly anxious public. With a recent Deloitte survey finding that 65 percent of consumers are concerned about the safety ... READ MORE

Late yesterday, reports surfaced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Goldman Sachs or its employees committed securities fraud while trading in the mortgage market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) referred the matter to the Justice Department, according to reports. The extent to which this news ratchets up the pressure on Goldman Sachs is hard to overstate. As the Wall Street Journal noted, ... READ MORE

Today, Goldman Sachs executives will appear before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations under the absolute toughest of circumstances. The investment banking giant is certainly no stranger to controversy, having taken more than its share of reputational lumps in the past.  But since the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed civil charges alleging that the bank hid details from clients investing in mortgage-backed securities, and then bet against those same clients, the public’s vitriol – ... READ MORE

As part of a continuing series of Bulletproof Blog™ video interviews with thought leaders across multiple disciplines and industry sectors, I recently sat down with Jonathan Orloff, President of Capitol Partners, Inc. and a longtime advisor to Senator Edward Kennedy, to discuss the current debate surrounding earmarks and his contention that they aren’t the symbol of bloated government they’ve been made out to be. As Mr. Orloff says, one man’s earmark is another man’s funding for ... READ MORE

This week, a great deal has been made of the Obama Administration’s efforts to leverage recent charges filed by the SEC against Goldman Sachs in the digital space. In an apparent effort to rally public support for financial regulation, the digital team at the White House engaged in a paid advertising effort on Google that targeted a variety of key search terms, such as “Goldman Sachs SEC.” For much of the last week, users that ... READ MORE

It’s hard to argue that a video exploiting a perverse taste for cruelty to animals is protected under the First Amendment. Yet that’s exactly what an 8-1 Supreme Court majority just did. And they were right. In its well-intentioned rush to outlaw videos of dog fighting and other forms of animal cruelty, Congress enacted a statute so broad that it would have made it a crime to sell a hunting magazine in any jurisdiction where hunting ... READ MORE

Since the turn of the Century, it seems that every new year brings yet another watershed moment in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement. In 2008, it was Siemens record-breaking $800 million fine. In 2009, it was the most FCPA actions ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a single year. And in 2010, it’s yesterday’s news that a Virginia businessman has received the longest ... READ MORE

With the market-moving news that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil fraud action against Wall Street’s most prestigious investment bank, Goldman Sachs, the fight for the company’s reputation continues, and moves to an entirely new level. The timing of this action (the Friday before a busy week in the U.S. Senate, as it takes up the Obama Administration’s financial reform package) has simultaneously raised eyebrows across the financial markets and provided an opening ... READ MORE

Earlier this week, the New York Times ran a story detailing New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s approach to the press, which is rather unusual for a politician of his stature. Rather than flashy news conferences and major press events, Mr. Cuomo opts for low-key reporter conference calls and frequent off-the-record conversations. It’s a strategy designed to shape the prevailing narrative while never letting the public see him sweat – and it’s working to the ... READ MORE

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s announcement that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will levy a $16.4 million fine on Toyota for allegedly concealing problems with “sticky accelerators” may actually present the beleaguered automaker with an opportunity to buttress its crisis and litigation communications strategies. "We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations," Secretary LaHood said. "Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and ... READ MORE