Foreign Corrupt Practices Act News

Much of what is written about Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement these days seems to be mere carrying forward of DOJ and SEC statements, as if those comments represent a universal truth.

Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws and regulations is a reason for optimism that fraud of the type that led to the Ralph Lauren Corp. settlement with the U.S. government will decline, said one longtime anti-money laundering advocate.

One year ago, the New York Times ran a major story titled “Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle.” The conduct at issue in the Times article related to Wal-Mart’s largest foreign subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico (Wal-Mart Mexico), and suggested that Wal-Mart Mexico “orchestrated a campaign of bribery to win market dominance” and that the entity “paid bribes to obtain permits in virtually every corner” of Mexico.