Secretary Labor v. Koresko

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedOctober 12, 2005
Docket04-3614
StatusUnpublished

This text of Secretary Labor v. Koresko (Secretary Labor v. Koresko) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Secretary Labor v. Koresko, (3d Cir. 2005).

Opinion

Opinions of the United 2005 Decisions States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

10-12-2005

Secretary Labor v. Koresko Precedential or Non-Precedential: Non-Precedential

Docket No. 04-3614

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_2005

Recommended Citation "Secretary Labor v. Koresko" (2005). 2005 Decisions. Paper 428. http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_2005/428

This decision is brought to you for free and open access by the Opinions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit at Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in 2005 Decisions by an authorized administrator of Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. For more information, please contact Benjamin.Carlson@law.villanova.edu. NOT PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

Nos 04-3614, 05-1440, 05-1946 and 05-2673

ELAINE L. CHAO, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor

v.

JOHN J. KORESKO; REGIONAL EMPLOYERS' ASSURANCE LEAGUES; DELAWARE VALLEY LEAGUE; PENN-MONT BENEFIT SERVICES, INC.; KORESKO & ASSOCIATES, Appellants

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Misc. No. 04-mc-00074) District Judge: Honorable Mary A. McLaughlin

Argued September 29, 2005

Before: RENDELL, FUENTES and WEIS, Circuit Judges.

(Filed : October 12, 2005)

Virginia L. Miller [ARGUED] Anderson, Kill & Olick 1600 Market Street, Suite 2500 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Counsel for Appellants Gail Perry [ARGUED] Eleanor L. Beard U.S. Department of Labor Plan Benefits Security Division P.O. Box 1914 Washington, DC 20013 Counsel for Appellee

OPINION OF THE COURT

RENDELL, Circuit Judge.

John J. Koresko, V (“Koresko”), Regional Employers’ Assurance Leagues,

Delaware Valley League, Penn-Mont Benefit Services, Inc. (“Penn Mont”), and Koresko

& Associates (together, “Respondents”), appeal two sets of orders issued by the District

Court. In the first set of orders, the “enforcement orders,” the District Court granted the

Department of Labor (“DOL”)’s Petition to Enforce Administrative Subpoenas (“May 11

Order”), rejected Respondents’ privilege claims and ordered Respondents to comply with

the subpoenas (“August 23 Order”). The second set of orders, the “contempt orders,”

denied DOL’s Renewed Motion for Adjudication of Contempt (“January 10 Order”),

adjudged Respondents Koresko, Penn-Mont and Koresko & Associates (the “Contempt

Respondents”) in contempt, ordered them to pay compensatory costs and coercive fines

(“March 17 Orders”), and directed the Contempt Respondents to pay $5,312.50 to DOL

in compensation for fees and costs associated with the contempt proceedings (“April 25

Order”).

2 Respondents raise myriad issues on appeal. We address their arguments with

respect to the enforcement orders and the contempt orders separately below. Because we

conclude that none of Respondents’ contentions rises to the level of legal error or abuse

of the District Court’s discretion, we will affirm all of the District Court’s orders.

As we write solely for the parties, who are familiar with the facts and the

procedural history of this case, we will discuss only the legal issues presented and related

material facts.

I. The Enforcement Orders

The District Court had jurisdiction over the subpoena enforcement proceedings

under section 9 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 49, as made applicable

by section 504(c) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C.

§ 1134(c), and section 502(e)(1) of ERISA, 29 U.S.C. § 1132(e)(1). District court orders

enforcing administrative subpoenas are final and appealable under 28 U.S.C. § 1291

because “‘there is no ongoing judicial proceeding that would be delayed by an appeal.’”

Univ. of Med. & Dentistry of N.J. v. Corigan, 347 F.3d 57, 63 (3d Cir. 2003) (quoting In

re Subpoena Duces Tecum, 228 F.3d 341, 346 (4th Cir. 2000)).

Respondents challenge both of the District Court’s enforcement orders. First, they

argue that District Court’s grant of DOL’s Petition to Enforce Administrative Subpoenas

in its May 11 Order was improper. Second, they dispute the District Court’s rejection of

their privilege claims in its August 23 Order. We address each of these issues in turn.

3 A. The District Court’s Order Enforcing the Administrative Subpoenas

We review a district court’s order enforcing administrative subpoenas for abuse of

discretion. FDIC v. Wentz, 55 F.3d 905, 908 (3d Cir. 1995). The procedure for

enforcing administrative subpoenas is well established. First, the agency must

demonstrate, through affidavits of its agents, that its subpoena meets the threshold

requirements for enforcement, SEC v. Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., 648 F.2d 118,

128 (3d Cir. 1981) (en banc): “(1) the inquiry must be within the authority of the agency,

(2) the demand for production must not be too indefinite, and (3) the information sought

must be reasonably relevant to the authorized inquiry.” United States v. Westinghouse

Elec. Corp., 638 F.2d 570, 574 (3d Cir. 1980). “If the government makes this preliminary

showing, the burden then shifts to the respondent to prove that enforcement of the

subpoena would be improper . . . .” Wheeling-Pittsburgh, 648 F.2d at 128. Enforcement

of a subpoena is improper where it would amount to an abuse of the court’s process.

Powell v. United States, 379 U.S. 49, 58 (1964). “Such an abuse would take place if the

[subpoena] had been issued for an improper purpose, such as to harass the [respondent] or

to put pressure on him to settle a collateral dispute, or for any other purpose reflecting on

the good faith of the particular investigation.” Id. After each party has had an

opportunity to argue its position, the District Judge may direct further proceedings,

including discovery, if she concludes that the record is inadequate to make a final

decision. On the other hand, if the judge finds that the record is sufficient, she may grant

4 or deny the petition for enforcement. At all times during this procedure, the respondent

“bear[s] the initial burden of convincing the trial judge that the claimed abuse of process

is not frivolous.” Wheeling-Pittsburgh, 648 F.2d at 128.

Respondents raise three main objections to the District Court’s enforcement of

DOL’s subpoenas. First, they argue that the District Court improperly relied on

“conclusory” statements to find that the subpoenas satisfied the threshold enforcement

criteria. Second, they contend that the District Court applied the wrong standard in

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Maggio v. Zeitz
333 U.S. 56 (Supreme Court, 1948)
United States v. Powell
379 U.S. 48 (Supreme Court, 1964)
United States v. Rylander
460 U.S. 752 (Supreme Court, 1983)
United States v. Liebman
742 F.2d 807 (Third Circuit, 1984)
General Signal Corporation v. Donallco, Inc.
787 F.2d 1376 (Ninth Circuit, 1986)
United States v. Reed
668 F.3d 978 (Eighth Circuit, 2012)
Robin Woods Inc. v. Woods
28 F.3d 396 (Third Circuit, 1994)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation v. Wentz
55 F.3d 905 (Third Circuit, 1995)
Rossi v. Standard Roofing, Inc.
156 F.3d 452 (Third Circuit, 1998)
Newton v. A.C. & S., Inc.
918 F.2d 1121 (Third Circuit, 1990)
United States v. Sarbello
985 F.2d 716 (Third Circuit, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Secretary Labor v. Koresko, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/secretary-labor-v-koresko-ca3-2005.