For Harris Corp, Echoes of History

Here’s a note from a U.S. reader:

Dear FCPA Blog,

As noted in the Wall Street Journal, Harris Corporation is currently investigating bribery in China.
 
This is not its first brush with the FCPA. 

Back in 1990 Harris Corporation was indicted but later acquitted of violating the FCPA through alleged bribes in Colombia.

Harris executives John D. Iacobucci and Ronald I. Schultz were also charged and acquitted. 

Another defendant, Robert O’Hara, pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with aiding and abetting acts of false recordkeeping by Harris in violation of the FCPA. After the other defendants were acquitted, he tried to withdraw his plea but the trial judge and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals didn’t let him.

I wonder if Harris will look to the past and feel lucky this time around?

*     *     *

Harris Corporation, in fact, was the last public company to fight FCPA charges in court.

Since its victory twenty-two years ago, every issuer charged by the DOJ with FCPA offenses has settled out of court.

In a post this summer, we discussed the reasons.