The FTC announced Tuesday that they have approved a final consent order settling charges that Made in the USA Brand, LLC, a company providing a "Made in USA" certification seal to marketers, gave out the seal while not actually verifying the claim, nor disclosing that the companies had certified themselves.
Shortly after the indictment was announced, Judge Irene Berger issued a sweeping gag order prohibiting anyone involved with the case, potentially involved with the case, or even many people who are involved with someone potentially involved with the case, from speaking to the media. The gag order extends to the parties, plus “their counsel, other representatives or members of their staff, potential witnesses, including actual and alleged victims, investigators, family members of actual and alleged victims as well as of the Defendant.” The order also prohibits court personnel from “mak[ing] any statements of any nature, in any form, or releas[ing] any documents to the media or any other entity regarding the facts or substance of this case.” When ThinkProgress attempted to retrieve documents relating to the case from PACER, a public database of documents relating to federal court cases, we were informed that the documents were “not available for viewing by non-court users.” There are few precedents for a gag order this broad, although there is at least one case involving a similar gag order issued by the judge presiding over a criminal prosecution of actual Nazis.
The order also prohibits court personnel from “mak[ing] any statements of any nature, in any form, or releas[ing] any documents to the media or any other entity regarding the facts or substance of this case.” When ThinkProgress attempted to retrieve documents relating to the case from PACER, a public database of documents relating to federal court cases, we were informed that the documents were “not available for viewing by non-court users.”
There are few precedents for a gag order this broad, although there is at least one case involving a similar gag order issued by the judge presiding over a criminal prosecution of actual Nazis.