Trump Orders Review of Foreign Bribery Law

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the Justice Department to stop prosecuting American companies and businesses for bribing foreign officials, Orda reports.

Previously, this was prohibited by the FCPA. The Justice Department must review this law so Americans can receive lucrative contracts abroad.

According to The Guardian, Attorney General Pam Bondi has been directed to pause Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations and prosecutions. The 1977 law now faces new guidelines.

Future FCPA investigations and enforcement actions will be governed by this new guidance and must be approved by the attorney general,  the document said.

The White House defends the move as necessary for American competitiveness:

American national security depends on America and its companies gaining strategic commercial advantages around the world, and President Trump is stopping excessive, unpredictable FCPA enforcement that makes American companies less competitive, the White House said.

Transparency International condemned the order as undermining America's primary anti-corruption tool.

The change comes after 2024, which saw 26 FCPA cases and 31 ongoing investigations.

The law has historically impacted Kazakhstan through several significant cases, including:

• The "Kazakhgate" scandal involving James Giffen and oil contracts
• Sanofi's $25 million fine for bribery in 2018
• Baker Hughes' $44 million penalty in 2007 over oil field access
• Goldman Sachs' involvement with AIX following its Malaysian scandal

With major U.S. companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil operating in Kazakhstan's oil and gas sector and American presence in finance, construction, and IT, the executive order could significantly affect how U.S. businesses operate by reducing oversight of foreign bribery practices.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov