DOJ Archives

By Debbie Gregory.

Predatory lending practices, broadly defined, are the fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair tactics some lenders use to dupe people to take out loans they can’t afford. So if a lender practices deception, exploitation, violates consumer protection laws, or charges more than reasonable loan terms, they are considered to be predatory lenders. Now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) wants troops and military law officials to pass on their complaints about these predatory lenders.

The DOJ is relaunching its Servicemembers.gov site to include expanded assistance to service members looking for legal help, education and information about ongoing pertinent cases.

“Servicemembers.gov is a work in progress and we are just at the beginning of a long process toward creating the best possible educational resource for you and your families, and for the people who want to help protect your rights,” said Stuart Delery, Acting Associate Attorney General. “We look forward to feedback from the military community as we work to make the website as useful as possible.”

To that end, the DOJ is conducting a series of town hall-style visits at military installations across the country.

The Department of Justice protects a servicemember’s civilian employment rights by enforcing the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”), voting rights by enforcing the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 (“UOCAVA”), and financial security through SCRA.

Servicemembers who believe their rights under USERRA, UOCAVA, or the SCRA have been violated will be able to file a complaint with the Department of Justice on this site. Servicemembers, veterans, and their families will also find information about where to obtain legal assistance.

The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative focuses on case enforcement over financial protections and education on troops’ consumer and legal rights under SCRA.

“I believe we have come a long way since the launch of the Service Members and Veterans Initiative one year ago, but there is more we can do to fight for those who fight for our country,” Delery said. “It is vital that we at the Justice Department do our jobs to enforce the criminal and civil laws designed to protect service members, veterans and their Families, so that you can focus on your invaluable work protecting our nation,” Delery said

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

By Debbie Gregory

On March 19, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of the “Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative.”

The DOJ’s commitment to service members and Veterans was explained in both a video and on the DOJ blog. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said, “Although we can never hope to repay the debt of gratitude our nation owes the heroes who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, we must never forget to acknowledge what we owe.” The DOJ, being firmly committed to acknowledging that debt, created the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative.

The sacrifices of the men and women who serve in uniform go beyond the courageous acts of battlefield valor. The truth of the matter is that service members face constant challenges when exercising their civil rights and maintaining their families’ financial security. It is for this reason that the DOJ prioritizes enforcing the statutes specifically created to protect the civilian employment rights, voting rights, and financial security of those serving in the Armed Forces.

The challenges don’t stop when a service member separates from the Armed Forces. For example, as many as twenty percent of our nation’s Post-9/11 Veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or other mental health problems connected to their service. It is for this reason that the DOJ supports Veterans’ Treatment Courts, which promote sobriety, recovery, and stability for Veterans struggling with addiction or mental illness who have become involved in the criminal justice system.

The “Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative” will reinforce the importance of recognizing Veteran sacrifices and the critical work that the department has already started to promote service members and Veterans rights. The initiative’s initial focus will be on three areas: enforcement, education, and access to justice.

The initiative is to be led by three dedicated career DOJ attorneys who have strong ties to the Veteran and military communities. Their task will be to further the existing efforts within the DOJ by coordinating and expanding enforcement, outreach, and training efforts on behalf of service members, Veterans, and their families.

For more information about the DOJ’s “Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative” please visit www.justice.gov or email your questions or concerns to servicemembers@usdoj.gov

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.