News and commentary about white-collar crime, enforcement, and compliance
Harry Cassin
Publisher and Editor
Andy Spalding
Senior Editor
Jessica Tillipman
Senior Editor
Bill Steinman
Senior Editor
Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large
Elizabeth K. Spahn
Editor Emeritus
Cody Worthington
Contributing Editor
Julie DiMauro
Contributing Editor
Thomas Fox
Contributing Editor
Marc Alain Bohn
Contributing Editor
Bill Waite
Contributing Editor
Russell A. Stamets
Contributing Editor
Richard Bistrong
Contributing Editor
Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor
Avon Products Inc. said in an SEC filing Thursday that the Securities and Exchange Commission offered an FCPA settlement last month with monetary penalties that were ‘significantly greater’ than the $12 million the company had offered.… Continue Reading
The SEC announced an award of over $150,000 to an unnamed whistleblower whose tips helped the agency stop a scheme that was defrauding investors.
The case didn’t involve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which are also elegible for whistleblower rewards.… Continue Reading
The FCPA Blog posed this question to the DOJ and FBI’s public affairs’ offices Wednesday: Has the FCPA Unit at the FBI been disbanded? In response, Christopher Allen in the FBI’s Public Affairs Office said: “The FBI’s investigations are managed through the International Corruption Unit, and that unit is absolutely not being disbanded.”… Continue Reading
The SEC’s new Chair, Mary Jo White, made headlines last week by letting compliance officers know how important their role is to their organizations and to the SEC.
As she said: “It is, in short, you who set the bar, provide the expert guidance, and serve as the example for everyone.… Continue Reading
The International Finance Corporation and the World Bank released their new Doing Business Index this week. It’s the 11th annual report measuring business regulations for local firms — how easy or hard it is to do business in the countries surveyed.… Continue Reading
The UK Serious Fraud Office charged a specialty printing company and four individuals, including the firm’s former chairman, with paying more than £400,000 in bribes in Africa.
Smith & Ouzman Limited, two of its directors, an employee, and an agent were charged under the Section 1 Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, the SFO said.… Continue Reading
The halls of regulators and law enforcement agencies around the world appear to be full of government officials investigating cases of bribery and corruption.
In China, there are allegations involving pharmaceutical companies and information brokers, and in the UK, we are still seeing the fall-out from the Libor scandal involving some of the world’s most respected financial institutions.… Continue Reading
Zhou Binwen, the former party secretary of Midong District in Urumqi City, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to accepting gifts and bribes worth $965,780 from at least nine private enterprises.… Continue Reading
DOJ has opened a criminal bribery investigation into the nonprofit, National Geographic Society, and the details are worthy of another Indiana Jones movie or an Egypt-based episode of the Bones TV show.… Continue Reading
The SEC now pays for information about securities law violations — including the FCPA — leading to a recovery of at least $1 million. The whistleblower reward can be from 10% to 30% of the recovery — a big range that’s entirely within the SEC’s discretion.… Continue Reading
Here’s an excerpt from Attorney General Eric Holder’s remarks Monday at the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery in Morocco.
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In recent years, we’ve joined hands to draft and bring into force the United Nations Convention Against Corruption – the first global anti-corruption treaty.… Continue Reading
Social media can be used to help disseminate information about a compliance program and to promote the program’s virtues. But some think using social media for anything related to compliance it still too risky.… Continue Reading