Corrupt Practices in the United States

Introduction to Corrupt Practices

Export Regulations

U.S. firms seeking to do business in foreign markets must be familiar with the FCPA. In general, the FCPA prohibits American companies from making corrupt payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. The Department of Justice is the chief enforcement agency, with a coordinate role played by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Office of General Counsel of the Department of Commerce also answers general questions of U.S. exporters concerning the FCPA’s basic requirements and constraints.

RICO

RICO stands for the Civil and Criminal “Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations” Act. The Act is codified at 18 U.S.C. §§1961-1968.

Most RICO-related cases are reported in the RICO Business Disputes Guide and/or the RICO Law Reporter. Also, Lexis has a RICO database (GENFED;RICO) that has cases, regulations and “applicable federal register materials.”

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Explained

References

See Also

• Business Law

Resources

Further Reading

• Information about Corrupt Practices in the Gale Encyclopedia of American Law.