Toyota has been fined a record $1.2 billion after the federal investigation into vehicles allegedly suddenly accelerating due to safety flaws. But as Attorney General Eric Holder announced the penalty, he condemned Toyota for supposedly having “intentionally concealed information and misled the public about safety issues.” The acceleration problems first came to light in 2009, just a few months after the federal government essentially became the owner of Toyota’s largest competitor, GM. So it’s interesting that the announcement of this massive fine comes once again just in time to distract from news of GM’s own fatal design problems – faulty ignition switches that results in at least 13 and perhaps 300 deaths. Far be it from us to suggest that politics are at play here, but the timing sure is suspicious.