Seigel explains why Congress adopted a 1988 law regarding wire and mail fraud. Michael Seigel, a former U.S. Attorney in Tampa, said the law is there for a reason. It was adopted by lawmakers in 1988, a year after the Supreme Court said prosecutors could not merely assume wire and mail fraud laws covered lost honest services. "It's specifically a tool given to prosecutors by Congress," he said. "Anybody who says it's on shaky ground is wrong. There's no question Congress wanted it there." Seigel, who has been studying white-collar crime for two decades, said it's natural for investors who lose money to want someone punished. "When the market's going up and people are making money, people don't care," he said. "When the market goes down, people want to point the finger and figure out who's going to take the loss. It's a very typical part of the cycle." Seigel said he believes the Supreme Court will likely make an interpretation of the law. “At some point we will see with this Supreme Court likely a naming of the use of honest services fraud,” he said. “I think the Supreme Court will rule on it in the next couple of years.