The Department of Justice has paused its collection of civil penalty payments until at least May 31, in an effort to blunt the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact. In a letter to US Attorneys’ offices sent in late March, Corey Ellis, the acting Director of the Executive Office for US Attorneys, directed enforcement offices to stop affirmative civil debt collection. In a follow-up letter on April 13, Ellis said the “suspension of required payments shouldn’t be interpreted to mean there is a broader relaxation of enforcement efforts.”
