Combating Bribery of Indigenous Leaders in International Business

57 Pages Posted: 5 Apr 2015 Last revised: 13 Dec 2015

See all articles by George K. Foster

George K. Foster

Lewis & Clark College - Lewis & Clark Law School

Date Written: November 21, 2015

Abstract

As United States law enforcement agencies have intensified their efforts to combat bribery in international business under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the FCPA), one form of corruption has been overlooked: bribery of indigenous leaders by multinational enterprises undertaking projects that will impact their communities. This Article demonstrates that the FCPA, the Travel Act, and other federal statutes could be readily applied to this form of bribery. However, it also shows that certain economic dealings between companies and indigenous leaders have legitimate purposes, and that these dealings likely would be treated as permissible under these statutes. The author outlines guidelines for distinguishing between legitimate and corrupt transactions, which should inform companies and indigenous leaders when navigating and applying the statutory requirements. This Article also argues that enforcement agencies should assign to this form of bribery an enforcement priority equal to that of more conventional foreign corrupt practices, if and when the statutory elements are satisfied.

Keywords: FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, corruption, bribery, criminal, indigenous, international, development, corporate, securities, UNDRIP

JEL Classification: K14, K22, K33

Suggested Citation

Foster, George K., Combating Bribery of Indigenous Leaders in International Business (November 21, 2015). 54 Columbia Journal of Transnational Law 59 (2015), Lewis & Clark Law School Legal Studies Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2589654

George K. Foster (Contact Author)

Lewis & Clark College - Lewis & Clark Law School ( email )

10101 S. Terwilliger Boulevard
LEWIS CLARK LAW
Portland, OR 97219-7762
United States

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