The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a key piece in the U.S. government’s fight against bribery and corruption across the globe. While the law has its limits, as it applies to the bribe-payor and not the bribe-receiver (in contrast to the U.K. Bribery Act which makes illegal both sides of the corruption equation), it remains an incredibly powerful tool. The drafters of the legislation realized the importance to U.S. foreign policy when they enacted the law back in 1977. Any company subject to the FCPA can and does stand in the wake of the U.S. government’s fight against this global scourge.
However the FCPA is only one tool the U.S. government has in its arsenal. The recent forfeiture lawsuits filed against those accused of looting the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, the 1MDB are another such tool. The U.S. is recognized as the global leader in this fight, and given the position of the U.S. in worldwide business commerce, The Man From FCPA finds such a view appropriate.
