Volkswagen of America will hire lawyer Kenneth Feinberg to help clean up the mess after the diesel emissions scandal that was first reported by West Virginia University's researchers and verified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Feinberg served as United States Senator Ted Kennedy's chief of staff, and since then the legal expert has earned a reputation for helping companies and organizations handle big settlements.
Michael Horn is president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. He wrote in a statement on December 17, Thursday, that Feinberg was the company's obvious choice due to his experience in handling such difficult issues and ability to help make things right with disgruntled customers, according to NBC News.
Feinberg is on a short list of legal experts in terms of settlements, and often after tragic events. That includes writing checks worth $7 billion to 9/11 victims as well as their family members.
Since then Feinberg has been called on to handle other tragedies including the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech (2007), and several 2012 events such as a mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater, and a shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.
Feinberg also helped to oversee how the bailout money was distributed to company executives after the financial crisis of 2007-2008. He also managed the distribution of $20 billion to people and businesses who suffered financial losses following the BP oil spill in 2010.
In other VW-related news, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has signed an open letter to the chair of California Air Resources Board, encouraging it to clean the air instead of car emissions. It calls for the German automaker to roll out its zero-emission vehicles as soon as possible, eliminating the chance of test cheating and not requiring any funds to enforce emissions laws, according to The Huffington Post.