Many times when companies settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they don't have to admit they did anything wrong. That practice may be changing.
The automaker Toyota has agreed to one of the largest settlements in automotive history. Pending court approval, the company will pay more than $1 billion to resolve a class-action lawsuit related to unintended acceleration.
After agreeing to pay the U.S. government $4.5 billion to settle criminal charges stemming from the Gulf oil spill, BP could face even higher civil penalties. Is such grave punishment in the government's best interest?
