Feds Reportedly Launch Criminal Probe Into Wells Fargo Following Allegations Of Sham Job Interviews

The probe is still in “early stages,” according to the Times, citing two unnamed sources.

Last month, the Times reported some Wells Fargo staffers were told to interview female and Black candidates for jobs the bank was already planning to give to other applicants, part of a purported effort to follow the letter—if not the spirit—of an internal policy requiring managers to consider diverse candidates for certain job openings.

The bank temporarily paused its diverse hiring policy earlier this week so staff can “fully understand how the guidelines should be implemented—and so we can have confidence that our guidelines live up to their promise,” Wells Fargo said in a statement.

It’s unclear what areas of criminal law the Manhattan-based prosecutors think Wells Fargo may have violated: It is broadly illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants based on race or sex, but the Times notes discrimination claims are usually resolved through civil suits that often result in settlements, not criminal cases.

A Wells Fargo spokesperson didn’t comment to Forbes on the prospect of a criminal investigation, but the bank said in a statement: “No one should be put through an interview without a real chance of receiving an offer, period.”

Nicholas Biase, chief spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, declined to comment on the purported investigation or confirm its existence to Forbes.