DOJ to Use Tentative $13 Billion Settlement With JP Morgan as Template For Financial Crash Investigations

Using a 1980s law with a lower burden of proof

The Justice Department plans to use its tentative $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase as a blueprint for reaching similar deals with other banks in probes related to bad mortgages and the 2008 financial crisis, a law enforcement official familiar with the negotiations said Monday.

If such an effort is successful, it could usher in an era of high-priced settlements throughout the banking industry.

Justice Department officials plan to expand the use of a 1980s law that carries a relatively low burden of proof and gives prosecutors 10 years to pursue such cases, twice as long as under standard securities law.