honor our contracts. the minorities -- you know i lived half of my life in tripoli. tripoli, and i was in the center, that's where i was born. and next door -- we had -- maybe one block from where i was born. and raised. was a catholic church. a big one. we had an italian community around us. and i never felt there was a problem, you know? i mean, we communicated. by the way, i spoke a little bit of italian, you know. and two blocks, i remember exactly where, diagonally from where i lived.

two blocks diagonally doesn't fit. two blocks this way. two blocks that way. we had the synagogue, you know. just across from my house -- we had a jewish family living there. yeah. i remember -- the name of -- the son was my age. clemmon, his name. there was no frob leproblem. you know what causes problems when you have a hidden agenda. when i have a hidden agenda, you wouldn't want to work with me. i want to be transparent. clear. we want to work together. and if that's the case, that's difficult -- that's really difficult, you know?

if we get to that point i think the world would be a fantastic world to live in. but in our government, first of all i tell you, i am a firm believer that i've don't, maybe this is wrong. i don't know. i do not ask somebody to serve on my government just because he is -- from this sector, this group, or that group. that's not my criteria. if it so happened. i am a firm believer that talent is all over libya. be itip, whatever you want to call it, you know. this or that. it so happened that we now have -- and i till yell you thi sincerely -- we have -- two ladies on our cabinet, strong,

capable and they're doing a good job. one of them is here. i am pleased and honored to be -- on the same team to work together. and the other one is -- she is the health minister. one of the toughest jobs in libya. you know, health care is -- crazy, you snow -- you snow that's two twheven. i didn't know that he was. seriously served as under secretary. and secretary resigned. without me knowing that. and finally i was talking to him. i found out that he is. i lived in a place where people from different origins -- and background -- were there, we never asked each other where are you from?

and when i came here to the states, i felt the same way. i served on -- you know another group. minority activities and things like that. but in libya it's not -- you know, gadhafi regime created this. it never existed as far as i'm concerned. so i guarantee you it is going to be a different libya. transparent. see, i told you. we have -- young ladies here in -- in libya that we are so proud of. this is a difficult question, i can't answer all of it. i will touch parts. in terms of transparency. if nothing else, fighting corruption and transparency are two things we want to make sure that we -- that they exist.

strongly. we have been doing whatever we can. our books are open. anybody can look into them. legitimate groups can look into them. we are talking today to the world bank. we want to see how we can create even more -- transparency into the system. would wou we would be looking into the open government outlook and attend higher level attending upcoming conference in brazil. but we are very serious about this. corruption has been. libya was -- up there in the -- in that, you know. we don't want that to happen anymore. we work very hard. now this is -- [ indiscernible ] she raised -- mentioned that we

are not -- we are not telling people what we are doing. and yes indeed this is a problem, you know. it's a mistake. it's a mistake. but just natural. most of us are technocrats. never cared to be in the media. i personally fool ifeel if i di too much. people would say, he's there too much. and now we have appointed a gentleman. well-spoken, articulate, we will be our spokesman. you are right. we have never didn't. we felt it is a short time anyway. you don't need to do it. we missed the point. so you will see more and hear more about what we do. the role of the ntc. that's the legislative lower

body. we are the executive one if you want. there is of course, because there is something new in our country. so some times interactions. we fry to draw the line. but it would work. >> thank you very much. i am afraid this is all the time we have. let me please ask you to -- first remain seated until the prime minister leaves. and then, join me in thanking the prime minister for very rehi you all the best in rebiddiui >> thank you. >> please remain seated.

>> beginning at 9:30 a.m., the senate armed services committee polls a hearing on military operations in afghanistan. the head of the coalition forces there, marine corps general john allen, will testify along with defense department officials. you can watch it live here on c-span 3 and online at c-span.org. >> this weekend on the presidency on american history tv. >> think of the fdr memorial it wasn't three redesigns, three plus designs before they got to a final, final plan. and so, i think that we shouldn't be afraid of looking at this issue. because we are building something for the centuries. we want to get it right. >> the eisenhower memorial

designed by frank gary opposed by the family, a house subcommittee discussed the memorial to the 34th president. watch sunday. 7:30 p.m. american history tv this weekend on c-span 3. >> in march, 1979, c-span began televising the u.s. house of representatives to households nationwide and today our content of politics and public affairs, nonfiction books and american history is a available on tv, radio, and online. >> we sell the american public short when you think you got to spoon-feed them, kid them. say oh, yeah, you can have all these things and not pay for them. they know better than that. they don't trust you if you try to flimflam them. you ought to say, sure, tax and spend. that's right. it's more honorable than borrow and spend. >> c-span created by america's cable companies as a public service.

>> the justice department held a summit on consumer fraud and in his opening remarks attorney general eric holder said federal officials are considering actions to address speculation in the oil and gas markets. federal and state law enforcement officials also discuss different types of scams, targeting the elderly, people's tax returns, and fake business opportunities. the event was part of what the obama administration has designated as national consumer protection week. >> all right, well, thank you, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. thank you all for being here today. my name is michael bresnick,

director of the fraud task force, i would look to start out by thanking georgetown university law center for hosting this very special event that we have had and are having here today. for allowing so many leaders throughout the department of justice and in fact from more than 20 different federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and auflss as well as nine different consumer protection groups to gather together under one roof to talk about critical issues that affect millions of americans all across the country every day. four weeks go today, united states attorney general eric holder announced they yags y c of the consumer protection group, punctuating his commitment to preventing and prosecuting fraud against some of our most vulnerable citizens. during his time as attorney general, he has charged civil attorneys, and criminal

prosecutors to use all the resources in their arsenal to enhance their enforcement of consumer fraud. these efforts have been met with tremendous success. under attorney general holder's leadership and fierce resolve to protect consumers, we have forged strong partnerships with consumer advocates. here today. and we will continue to do so through the consumer protection working group, and events like this one. so, ladies and gentlemen, with great pleasure and honor for me now to introduce this afternoon's first speaker, the >> well, good afternoon. good afternoon. >> good >> terrific. there we go. thank you, mike for the kind intro ducts. for your leadership as executive director of the president's financial fraud enforcement task force. you are doing a superb job.

it is a pleasure to join with you and with so many dedicatedle colleagues and essential partners. as we begin today's really impot,want to thank you all, especially distinguished panelists for being a part of at historic summit. i can thin tick of no better way to commemorate and raise awareness of consumer protection week than for this group of stake holders, this group of experts, and advocates to join and examine challenges and solutions the american people deserve. now in this conversation, i am especially greatful for the commitment and engagement of the members of the consumer protection working group. which is a newly formed initiative that is opening as part of the financial fraud enforcement task force in particular would like to recognize director michael bloom and the group's co-shares, tony west of civil division soon to be associate attorney general, assistant attorney general, lanny brewer, u.s. attorney

andre berat of central district of california, in case you don't know, los angeles, director david vladic of bureau of consumer protect tgs, and kent varcas, head of the bureau, director of enforcement. today as the the working group gathers for the second time since its inaugural meeting in february. i want to express my gratitude for your leadership of this effort and for your dedication in protecting, health, safety and economic security of consume ears cross the country. these are goals and these are responsibilities that we all share. and each one of us has a role in fulfilling them. for me, and for today's department of justice protecting american consumers, is a top pry or tee. and as we have rededicated ourselves to this work in recent years, we have also learned some, essential lessons. primarily, that fully understanding the threats that consumers face, and protecting their interests in a comprehensive way its not something the justice department

can achieve on its own. we cannot simply prosecute our way out of this problem. so we need your help. we need your perspectives. we need your expertise. we need your talents. we need your determination. that's pry swhat this day is al about. earlier this afternoon we kicked off an important, some ways, unprecedented conversation between this working group's leaders and key consumer advocates. we talked about strategies. for enhancing our civil and criminal enforcement, of consumer fraud crimes. increasing public awareness about common schemes and ways to report them. so ordinary citizens hatch the knowledge they need to fight back. building on the momentum we have established in the fight against consumer fraud. now as a result of discussions like this one, and thanks to the strong partnerships we have forced with federal law enforcement officials. regulatory agencies and we have been able to gain access to the wide array of tools and, the

extra ordinary depth of experience that we will need, not just to continue the work that its under way, but to bring this fight to the next level. especially in these times of great economic challenges, i recognize that the need to move aggressive leap ly to combat th crimes has never been more important. proud to report that our nation's department of justice and so many of the consumer groups represented here have responded to these threats not with despair, but with resolve. and with decisive action. during the last fiscal year, the department's consumer protection branch achieved an astounding 95% conviction rate. recovered over $900 million in criminal and civil fines. and obtained sentences totaling, 125 years of imprisonment against more than 30 individuals. these achievements build on the remarkable success of the financial fraud enforcement task force which helped secure convictions against those responsible for a wide variety

of consumer scams. including telemarketing schemes, fraudulent job training. and referral services. and even enterprise that generated over $75 million in loss. victimized 350,000 small businesses by placing charges on people's phone bills. since last april, when i established a new part of the task force, known as oil and gas price fraud working group. we have also been focussed on identifying civil or criminal violations in the oil and gasoline markets. ensuring that american consumers are not harmed by unlawful conduct. this working groups latest meeting held at the justice department. this morning. its moment berz discuss aid va rye team of topics including the role of speculators in the market. the ftc and new york state attorney general's office as well as ways to up prove information sharing between working group members, and

partners. and where do we go from here? i can also report that one of the working group's moment beem conducting an investigation with assistance from working group members into whether gas prices have been affected by any antitrust violation or market manipulation by refineries or oil producers or transporters, marketers, fizzle caphysical, f traders. working group members ready off to act if the fcc learns anything that implicates the laws they enforce. the task force at the forefront of the administration efforts to seek justice for those devastated by the recent financial crisis. since 2009 we have helped to bring charges to secure convictions and obtain prison sentences up to 60 years in a variety of cases charging securities fraud, bank fraud and investment fraud. criminal enforcement tools, where possible, and civil

penalties and sanctions where necessary. i think we have made great strides in holding individuals and ins tuxs accountable for the reckless, inappropriate and often times unlawful conduct that helped contribute to the financial crisis. by employing a similar collaborative approach we have been able to make history. in january the departments of justice and housing and urban development, other agencies, 49 state attorneys general, came to achieve a landmark 25 billion dollar agreement with the nation's top five mortgage servicers. largest joint federal/state record on settlement on record. this will provide significant assistance to homeowners and communities. it will serve as a model for what we can accomplish when we work together. across federal agencies. state boundaries. and party lines. for a residential mortgage backed securities working group. now, we can all be encouraged by

the achievements that have characterized the past few years. but there is perhaps no better illustration of the progress we have made than our ground breaking work to combat health care fraud. over the last fiscal year alone, the department, were able to recover $4.1 billion in funds that were stolen, or taken improperly from federal health care programs. the highest amount ever recorded in a single year. over the last three, for every dollar we have spent fighting against health care fraud we returned $7 to the united states treasury, medicare trust fund and others. these numbers are stunning. there is no question that we should be proud of the results that we have already achieved. health care fraud won't be a focal point of this working group, this ongoing work will augment our latest consumer protection efforts. i also note that this its no time to be satisfied. we cannot afford to become

complacent. that's why weep must, and we will, continue to seek new avenues for communication, and collaboration with partners like you. with assistance and expertise of friends and allies gathered to day and through discussions like those this afternoon. on ush use ranging from fraud targeting the elderly. to tax schemes, to business opportunity fraud we'll develop comprehensive strategies and implement solutions to preventing and combatting consumer fraud in the years ahead. to put it simply. my colleagues and i are counting on each and every one of you. american consumers are depending on you. and i look forward to all that we will be able to accomplish together. so thank you all very much for the great work you are doing and that you will do. thank you.

>> thank you, general holder. thank all of you for joining us here today. and happy national consumer protection week. you know, we are -- this is a -- this week is really an opportunity for us to do a number of things. to raise the awareness about consumer protection issues with consumers around the country. to begin to think about our own efforts, enforcement efforts, education efforts, when it comes to protecting consumers from fraud, and scams. but i think the most important thing that -- that this week is proving to be is an opportunity for us to come together and to share ideas, thoughts, to achieve synergies, efficiencies we can achieve by working together. we have already started to do that this morning. we have had a very productive meeting with consumer advocate whose have been in fight for a

long time. and with, federal partners and state partners, to talk about -- how we can, work better, as -- as -- as a team. tackling some of the issues. as the attorney general mentioned -- protecting the health, safety and financial well-being of consumers -- has really been a centerpiece of this administration's anti-fraud efforts. and over the last three years, we in the civil division of the department of justice, we have, refocused and redoubled, and really reorganized our efforts to protect consumers by creating a new branch, consumer protection branch. and the work of that branch, which the attorney general mentioned in his remarks, really been going on for the last 40 years. but what we have done -- is to, and they have been enforcing federal consumer protection statutes for a long time. what we have done over the last three years, we have -- provided additional resources, we have

given that branch an expanded focus, and we have renewed partnerships with key players in the consumer protection space so that -- our efforts are even more effective today. we, we enjoy great partnerships with the ftc, and fda, consumer product safety commission, our new friends at consumer financial protection bureau. states attorney general, great strong partnerships with u.s. attorneys around the country. and several others. we have through the partnerships stepped up our efforts to enforce consumer protection laws in a number of areasmogage fraut safety, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, investor rip-off schemes which are better known as, belttter business opportunity frauds. a panel later today. criminal off-label marketing. health care fraud. and for-profit colleges.

and another growing area of interest, type of fraud that preys on immigrant communities. as attorney general mentioned, redoubled efforts lead to record breaking results. that its a testament to the partnership we established. he hold you last year's numbers, from january, 2009. see consumer protection branch in its efforts has recovered a record breaking $3.272 billion in criminal fines, civil penalties. restitution to victims. when you add up the sentences of the defendants who have been convicted during the three-year period you find it adds up to more than 295 years. a record of success. but again as attorney general has said, we have much more work to do. that's why this gathering is so, so important. last thing i will say in closing before i turn it over to my friend and colleague, lanny

brewer. one of the thing that happens in washington, d.c. when people hear a new working group -- is -- they think,what is that? whoopee, right? let me fell -- tell you something. something we have seen time and again with working groups formed under it. mortgage fraud working group which i have had the great privilege to work on. or, the rbs working group. or some of the other working groups, lanny participated in. those of us in the room have participated on. the reason we form the working groups because they work. they have led to significant results when people are coming together. people who have -- are focusing on similar -- enforcement challenges. we are bringing together, the full panaply of civil, federal. criminal, state authorities to

bear on these common problems. when you add to that in this context of bringing in the ideas of so many consumer advocates. i think we have a recipe for success again. so i am very, very pleased that all of you were here. it is really a privilege to be able to be engaged in this effort with you. with that, let me untroep deuin friend and colleague, lanny brewer. >> well, thank you, tony. i want to echo what tony was saying. the working groups as only as good as the people involved, they're only as good as our willingness to deal with the issues at hand. and try to find as comprehensive approach as we can. my view of all of these, use is to say, that to some degree, we have different topic areas. but on some level, all different levels of fraud and criminality, morph, they morph both

nationally and internationally and they morph candidly by the subject matter. so right now what the working group does is exactly what tony says. it gives us an opportunity to have real discussions with real experts. we started hearing from people earlier today. i think my criminal division will be better as a result. we will start focusing. to give you a real example. i grabbed already one of my deputy chiefs of one of my sections, come points made earlier today, said i wanted us to deal with the issue. in the same way, a few weeks ago, in the residential mortgage backed security group, we were able to come with a holist ache proe -- holistic approach in a new area. we have to raise awareness and understand that fraud particularly at a time of tie nan sham distre -- financial distress when people are feeling vulnerable its a time when people are at

their most vulnerable and greatest risk of fraud. we also have to be realistic that crime today is global. we have to be realistic that more and more to day organized groups will sometimes perpetuate fraud. one of our goals, one of our goals in the criminal disvision. with our partners to try to identify who are committing the crimes and how are they committing them? one thing we know is that -- some crime, if a consumer related crime is internationally based. it is not always here. some times fraudsters realize that they can bebetter escape l enforcement if they do it abr d abroad. we are trying to deal with international partners. i've bun to west africa to talk to part nerners there. it's why we are fighting harder to extradite people when we identify them. why i was in romania to talk with partners there. where romania has been a