—Congress Approves Game-Changing Law to Combat Foreign Corruption

IPNEWS: In a historic move, the U.S. Congress has passed the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), marking a major legislative victory in the fight against global corruption. This groundbreaking law, now a part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is set to revolutionize the U.S. government’s approach to prosecuting corrupt foreign leaders.

FEPA criminalizes any act of bribery by foreign officials, including government employees or their immediate family and associates, targeting Americans, American companies, or anyone on U.S. soil in exchange for business favors. This legislation comes as a response to widespread international corruption and is the most significant of its kind in the past fifty years.

Crafted with the significant input of Transparency International U.S. (TI US), FEPA also enjoys the backing of a diverse coalition of supporters, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Action, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). This bipartisan effort underscores a commitment from the Biden Administration to address the “demand side” of foreign bribery.

Scott Greytak, Advocacy Director for TI US, highlighted the importance of FEPA: “Today marks a pivotal moment in the United States’ role in global justice. FEPA is a landmark, bipartisan law with the potential to uproot foreign corruption at its core. It’s the most expansive foreign bribery law we’ve seen in nearly half a century.”

According to Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index, people in over 120 countries face severe corruption, often under kleptocratic rule. FEPA seeks to change this by empowering the U.S. Government to take legal action against foreign officials soliciting or accepting bribes.

Previously, U.S. law focused solely on penalizing Americans or American companies involved in bribing foreign officials, leaving a significant gap in justice. FEPA aims to rectify this by imposing consequences on corrupt foreign officials, ensuring a more equitable approach to international business practices.

FEPA is now awaiting President Biden’s signature. Its passage represents a significant step forward in international anti-corruption efforts and is a testament to the dedicated leadership of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Joe Wilson, Sen. Thom Tillis, the Helsinki Commission, and their respective staff.