CNN ARTICLE ON LINEBARGER: 

Summary of the full investigation: 

http://money.cnn.com/interactive/pf/debt-collector/above-the-law-summary/index.html​ 


The secret world of government debt collection

http://cnnmon.ie/1JnuS6K 

Government agencies are hiring debt collectors to hunt down debtors. And in this world, a $1.25 toll can easily snowball into a $300 bill, and a $100 speeding ticket can land you in jail.That’s because government debt collectors aren’t held to the same consumer protection laws as those that go after credit card debt or auto loans.

The debt collector that runs Texas [Be sure you read this one!]

http://cnnmon.ie/1CEt7vu 

Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson is one of the nation’s biggest government debt collectors. And, in Texas, it’s one of the most influential. Through lobbying efforts and generous campaign donations, the firm has countless politicians -- from school board members to state lawmakers -- on its side. And these connections have paid off big.

  

Debt collection nightmares

http://cnnmon.ie/1DCgZwp 

High fees. Mistaken identities. Traumatizing letters. From a grieving Brooklyn mother to an Air Force major fighting overseas, these six Americans received collection letters from Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson that they say turned their lives into nightmares.

 

Threatening letters from a government debt collector

http://cnnmon.ie/1Dmduvr 

Americans across the country are getting scary debt collection letters – threatening jail time, suspension of their driver’s license or garnishment of their wages -- over what sometimes seem like minor offenses.

 

Inside the lives of millionaire debt collectors

http://cnnmon.ie/1yS9wTS 

Yachts. Mansions. Extravagant dinner parties. Life is good when you’ve founded one of the nation’s largest government debt collection firms.