Two U.S. senators are calling on the Justice Department to investigate German automaker Daimler AG for allegedly cheating on diesel emissions tests by using potentially illegal software, two U.S. senators said, Reuters reported.
In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said recent media reports "raise serious questions as to whether Daimler AG deceived federal regulators and U.S. consumers and endangered public health," according to Reuters. They added that prosecutors should take whatever action is necessary including "criminal charges against company executives if warranted," the report said.
German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that Daimler passed regulatory emissions tests by developing software functions that reduce or regulate the application of AdBlue fluid, which helps eliminate harmful exhaust gases.
A Daimler spokesman said the company has provided "comprehensive transparency" and full cooperation with U.S. authorities for more than two years, Reuters reported.
