Aug. 8, 2008 -- Ralph Nader Calls for a Crackdown on Corporate Crime

Beltway Happenings

Aug. 8, 2008--While the McCain-Obama race seems to have devolved into a series of charges and countercharges, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has been working to get on the ballot in a projected 45 states by the end of the summer. The veteran consumer activist held a sparsely attended press conference in which he called for ending "the failed war on drugs" and launching a war on corporate crime.

Nader presented a twelve-point plan: increase corporate crime prosecution budgets; ban corporate criminals from government contracts; crack down on corporate tax avoidance; democratize corporate governance; expand corporate disclosure; rein in excessive executive pay; fix the pension system; restore the rights of defrauded investors; regulate derivatives trading; end conflicts of interest on Wall Street; track the extent and cost of corporate crime; and foster a national discussion on corporate power.

Perhaps because of summer vacation, attendance was thin; a couple of television cameras and several other reporters showed up in addition to those seen above.