SEC v. Michael Lauer, No. LR-19018, Southern District of Florida (Dec. 30, 2004) — Press Release
raw: Michael Lauer, et al.
Michael Lauer, et al., No. LR-19018 (Dec. 30, 2004)
Michael Lauer faced a contempt motion from the SEC for willfully defying four court orders to provide complete interrogatory responses in an ongoing securities fraud case, prompting a magistrate judge to order him to show cause why he should not be held in civil contempt on December 16, 2004.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a contempt motion against Michael Lauer for repeatedly refusing to comply with court orders requiring full and complete responses to interrogatories in a securities fraud case initiated in 2003. Despite four prior court orders and multiple motions to compel, Lauer failed to provide the required discovery, leading the SEC to seek civil contempt sanctions. On December 16, 2004, Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac ordered Lauer to show cause within 10 days why he should not be held in civil contempt, though no monetary penalties or final resolution were yet determined.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated a securities fraud case against Michael Lauer in 2003, which later became the subject of repeated discovery disputes. Despite four separate court orders and multiple motions by the SEC to compel compliance, Lauer consistently refused to provide full and complete responses to the Commission’s first set of interrogatories. On December 9, 2004, the SEC filed an application for an order to show cause why Lauer should not be held in civil contempt for violating the November 8, 2004 court order. On December 16, 2004, Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac granted the motion and ordered Lauer to submit a written explanation within 10 days as to why he should not be held in civil contempt. The contempt proceeding was procedural and focused solely on Lauer’s discovery violations, not the underlying fraud allegations. No final sanctions, fines, or resolutions were issued at the time of this filing, as the contempt hearing was still pending. The matter was part of a broader pattern of noncompliance documented in prior litigation releases from July and December 2004.
Extracted insights
- person michael lauer
- agency Securities and Exchange Commission
- organization Securities and Exchange Commission
- Securities and Exchange Commission announced it filed an Application for an Order to Show Cause on December 9, 2004
- Securities and Exchange Commission filed Application for an Order to Show Cause against Michael Lauer
- Michael Lauer should not be held civil contempt
- Michael Lauer violated the Court's November 8, 2004 Order Requiring Him to Respond to Plaintiff's First Set
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 19018 / December 30, 2004 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION V. MICHAEL LAUER, ET AL., Case No. 03-80612-CIV-MARRA/VITUNAC (S.D. Fla). SEC FILES CONTEMPT MOTION AGAINST MICHAEL LAUER The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on December 9, 2004, it filed with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida an Application for an Order to Show Cause why Michael Lauer should not be held in civil contempt for violating the Court's November 8, 2004 Order Requiring Him to Respond to Plaintiff's First Set of Interrogatories by No Later Than November 22, 2004. The Commission's contempt application asserts that despite multiple motions by the Commission to Compel, four Court Orders requiring Lauer to provide full and complete responses, and subsequent motions by the Commission to hold Lauer in contempt, Lauer still refuses to provide full and complete interrogatory responses. On December 16, 2004, United States Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac granted the Commission's Application and ordered Lauer to show cause in writing within 10 days why the Court should not recommend to the District Court that Lauer be held in civil contempt for violating the November 8, 2004 Order. For further information, see Litigation Release No. 18226 (July 10, 2003), Litigation Release No. 18247 (July 23, 2003), and Litigation Release No. 18991 (December 2, 2004).
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 19018 / December 30, 2004 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION V. MICHAEL LAUER, ET AL., Case No. 03-80612-CIV-MARRA/VITUNAC (S.D. Fla). SEC FILES CONTEMPT MOTION AGAINST MICHAEL LAUER The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on December 9, 2004, it filed with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida an Application for an Order to Show Cause why Michael Lauer should not be held in civil contempt for violating the Court's November 8, 2004 Order Requiring Him to Respond to Plaintiff's First Set of Interrogatories by No Later Than November 22, 2004. The Commission's contempt application asserts that despite multiple motions by the Commission to Compel, four Court Orders requiring Lauer to provide full and complete responses, and subsequent motions by the Commission to hold Lauer in contempt, Lauer still refuses to provide full and complete interrogatory responses. On December 16, 2004, United States Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac granted the Commission's Application and ordered Lauer to show cause in writing within 10 days why the Court should not recommend to the District Court that Lauer be held in civil contempt for violating the November 8, 2004 Order. For further information, see Litigation Release No. 18226 (July 10, 2003), Litigation Release No. 18247 (July 23, 2003), and Litigation Release No. 18991 (December 2, 2004).