NY AG Pleased with Volkswagen Plea, Indictments

Volkswagen has admitted fault in the massive emissions control scandal, six of its executives have been indicted, and the New York Attorney General is pleased.

Volkswagen has been under investigation for intentionally installing software engineered to dupe regulators during emissions control testing on about 500,000 vehicles sold in the United States. The “defeat device” software turned on during testing but shot off during driving to give motorists better performance on the highway.

There is still a court case pending in New York. Last year, the state Attorney General Attorney, Eric T. Schneiderman, announced a lawsuit against Volkswagen for selling cars equipped with illegal emissions control cheat devices and violating state environmental laws.

Regarding the settlement announced today between Volkswagen and the federal government, Schneiderman said, “As described in our complaint, Volkswagen demonstrated a total disregard for the law and for the protection of public health and the environment. I am pleased that the company is finally admitting its wrongdoing and taking responsibility for its actions. But it must also take responsibility for the damage done to the environment in states across the country.”

Along with the indictments, the plea deal carries a record $4.3 billion settlement, according to the Washington Post.

Photo by Gábor Kovács via Flickr Commons

Patch Editor Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.