Trump to stop enforcement of law banning bribery of foreign officials

President Donald Trump is expected to ease restrictions on foreign bribes, Bloomberg reported on Monday. A new executive order would stop enforcement of a law that prevents U.S. companies from bribing foreign government officials.

Trump argues that this law “puts American firms at a disadvantage,” Bloomberg’s Jenny Leonard reports.

The executive order means that Attorney General Pam Bondi will pause application of the law until she puts out new enforcement guidelines. The Justice Department will also review all current and past actions related to the law. They will then prepare new guidelines.

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The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is 1977 legislation that forbids American businesses from bribing foreign government officials in order to obtain or retain business. Violation of the law is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

“U.S. companies are harmed by FCPA overenforcement because they are prohibited from engaging in practices common among international competitors, creating an uneven playing field,” a fact sheet reviewed by Bloomberg said.

A White House official told CBS News that the directive is “a pause in enforcement to better understand how to streamline the FCPA to make sure it’s in line with economic interests and national security.”

“The FCPA’s intent is in part to prevent American firms from fueling rampant public corruption that undermines the rule of law in many parts of the world. Over time, the FCPA’s rules have grown into bedrock principles of how American businesses operate overseas,” CBS News reports.

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