Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

**What the Case Was About** The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was investigating Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) for possible workplace discrimination. As part of this investigation, the EEOC issued a subpoena demanding that Freddie Mac turn over documents and information. However, Freddie Mac refused to comply with the subpoena, so the EEOC went to court asking a judge to force the company to provide the requested materials. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with Freddie Mac and denied the EEOC's request. The judge ruled that the EEOC had waited too long to enforce its subpoena. Specifically, the court found that once the EEOC issued a "right to sue" letter to the employee who filed the discrimination complaint, and that employee then filed their own lawsuit against the company, the EEOC lost its power to continue investigating and demanding documents. **What This Means for Workers** This ruling shows that there are time limits on government investigations of workplace discrimination. Workers should be aware that once they receive a right-to-sue letter and file their own lawsuit, the EEOC may no longer be able to help gather evidence through its investigative powers.