Justice Dept. Typo Costs $100M, and oops! It Can't Be Fixed

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070615/big-mistake/

No Quick Fix for $100 Million Goof


MATT APUZZO | June 15, 200

WASHINGTON — It was a $100 million mistake, and a federal judge said Friday he doesn't have the power to fix it.

The Justice Department goofed last year and cited the wrong law in a binding plea agreement with telecommunication entrepreneur Walter Anderson, the largest tax scofflaw in U.S. history. That mistake made it impossible for the government to recover between $100 million and $175 million, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman said in March.

Prosecutors urged him to reconsider but Friedman reluctantly said Friday that his hands were tied.

"The court is not free to read something into a contract that is not there or to interpret uncertain language in the government's favor," Friedman said.

Though prosecutors described the error as "a typo" and not "something that the court should be getting wrapped up about," Friedman reluctantly said his hands were tied.

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Why do people have to be so touchy? After all, we're throwing away billions a week in Iraq.