Kleptocracy and foreign corruption manifesting in illicit financial flows

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted C. Moorman
Keyword(s):  
Ethics Education ◽  
Financial Crime ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Financial Flows ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Government ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
The Us ◽  
Asset Forfeiture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the place of kleptocracy and foreign corruption within the broader framework of financial crime. This facilitates understanding the importance of kleptocracy and foreign corruption as social problems. Two other aims are to better understand the most problematic components of a kleptocratic network and the most effective combatants of that network. A subsequent goal is to offer solutions from a broad range of interventions, including policy, technology, education, research and collaborative efforts. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical economic concepts are used to analyze the importance of kleptocracy and foreign corruption. A small in-depth survey of 15 experts is conducted to identify the most problematic components of kleptocratic networks and the most effective combatants of those networks. The proposed solutions are based on a combination of argumentation, econometric developments, application of trends in related fields and material from in-depth surveys. Findings This paper identifies kleptocracy and foreign corruption as one of the most, if not the most, devastating financial crime according to its impact on the total marginal utility of wealth. Experts identify foreign kleptocrats or corrupt foreign government officials as the most problematic entities in kleptocratic networks and the most effective combatant is identified as the US Department of Justice. By adding up fines and asset forfeiture related to corruption, penalties are found to be a small fraction of the problem in terms of monetary magnitude. Research limitations/implications The paper does not attempt to make causal claims because of the nature of the paper’s purpose and methodology. Practical implications The paper offers suggestions and methods for academic researchers who may wish to pursue a research agenda that is empirical and forensic with the aim of combatting kleptocracy and foreign corruption. The paper describes how information on kleptocracy and foreign corruption can be implemented into business and economics curriculum. Social implications Kleptocracy and foreign corruption are important problems, and creative solutions are desperately needed. Originality/value The paper shows how understanding and combatting kleptocracy and foreign corruption can be considered an interdisciplinary activity, touching on fields including technology, economics, business, ethics, education, law, policy, statistics and research methods.

Ransomware rise calls for stronger cyber resilience

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Direct Costs ◽  
Lost Sales ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Incident Response ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
The Us ◽  
New Business

Subject Ransomware attacks. Significance The US Department of Justice has described ransomware as a “new business model for cybercrime”. Ransomware makes part (or all) of an organisation’s computer systems unavailable and can affect the victim in various ways: system downtime, lost employee productivity, lost sales, and direct costs including incident response and restoring/replacing affected machines. Impacts A rise in remote working due to COVID-19 will have a mixed impact on the escalation of ransomware attacks. Organisations stressing good cybersecurity hygiene on both work and domestic digital devices will be better prepared. The cybersecurity insurance industry will continue to expand.

Cambodia-US frictions are set to worsen

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Phnom Penh ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Political Freedoms

Significance The moves are the latest in a series of frictions between Phnom Penh and Washington which centre on political freedoms in Cambodia and, following his arrest on September 3, opposition leader Kem Sokha of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Impacts The US government could use US influence to cut IMF and World Bank development aid to Cambodia. Cambodia will move further into China’s orbit as the US-Cambodia relationship worsens. Cambodian government officials and their business associates could be denied US entry visas. If US sanctions were applied, the garment sector’s liberal labour practices would probably protect this vital industry.

US prison population will increase under Trump

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Private Prisons ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Profile ◽  
The Us ◽  
2016 Election ◽  
Incarcerated Population

Subject Politics of the US criminal justice system. Significance On February 23, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a memorandum issued by his predecessor aimed at phasing out Department of Justice contracts with companies for operating private prisons. Stocks of these companies rose following President Donald Trump's November 2016 election win, and his administration is pursuing policies that will increase the size of the incarcerated population. Impacts Election-driven pressures to cut costs will dissuade officeholders from funding recidivism-reducing education and job programmes. Lack of competition in the private prison sector will undercut market mechanisms for better service delivery at lower cost. Voters are likely to focus on memorable high-profile crimes when establishing policy preferences rather than overall statistical declines. Conservatives are more likely to overestimate crime trends than liberals, which will limit political dividends for pro-reform Republicans. Federal detention of gang members and deportation to their countries of origin could consolidate transnational criminal networks.

Solar trade tariffs

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-65
Author(s):  
Suhail Abboushi
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Dispute ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Us Trade Policy ◽  
Generous Support

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey the growth of solar energy worldwide, analyze US-China trade dispute in the solar industry, and evaluate the merits of US trade tariffs. Design/methodology/approach – The study surveyed archival data, publications by international organizations, government agencies, industry groups, and some academic research papers. Findings – Global demand for solar energy has been rising steadily and is projected to generate growing source of electric power. There is worldwide consensus that public support for solar industry in the development stages is necessary. The US Government provides generous support programs and subsidies to US solar industry. Accordingly, US punitive tariffs against China's solar industry on grounds of government subsidies are of questionable merit. Originality/value – This paper presents a concise profile of global solar energy and evaluates US trade policy toward China. The findings can be of value to government officials as they consider trade policies and their impact on the future of solar energy.

Electronically Monitored Home Confinement

Criminology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Staples ◽  
Darcy L. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
The United States ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
House Arrest ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
The Us ◽  
Alcohol Testing ◽  
Rf Signal

As a tactic of control and punishment, “house arrest’’ has been used for millennia to sequester individuals such as deposed leaders, government officials, and political dissidents in a residence. Since the late 1980s, various forms of house arrest—typically involving some kind of electronic monitoring (EM) and therefore broadly referred to as electronically monitored home confinement (EMHC)—have come to play a role in both the criminal and juvenile justice systems of the United States and in other countries. Unfortunately, the US Department of Justice does not collect data on the numbers of persons under EM. According to a 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts, more than 125,000 people were supervised by electronic means, up from 53,000 in 2005. The survey also found that all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government use electronic devices to monitor people at various stages of the justice system including pretrial defendants, immigrants awaiting deportation hearings, and convicted offenders. EMHC is considered an intermediate sanction that permits an individual to live at home except when authorized to attend school, treatment programs, and go to work, or meet with program officials. Participants must agree to an extensive list of conditions of their participation and they are often required to pay for their EMHC (typically $10–15 a day). Violators are commonly jailed for non-compliance. A variety of monitoring systems are used, the original and most common being some form of a continuous radio frequency (RF) signal between a receiver-dialer that is attached to a telephone line in the home and a transmitter that is worn by the offender on the ankle or wrist. With these “tagging” systems, individuals cannot stray further than 150 feet or so from the monitoring box without triggering a violation. More sophisticated designs are based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) that can track the whereabouts of individuals at all times, even if they have absconded from the home. Other systems have added biometric measurements such as transdermal alcohol testing to the anklet to determine a person’s blood alcohol content. Yet another version dispenses with the anklet monitor and a digital device is installed in the home and random phone calls from the program’s computer system must be answered by the offender when they are required to be in the home. To verify compliance, the system uses voice and facial recognition capabilities and collects a breath sample to test for alcohol.

New US policy will increase Taiwan Strait tension

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Term Limits ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Senate ◽  
The One ◽  
High Level

Subject New developments in relations between Taiwan, China and the United States. Significance On February 28, the US Senate unanimously passed a bill, the Taiwan Travel Act, which -- when the president signs it into law -- will allow for high-level visits by government officials between Taiwan and the United States. China immediately criticised the measure, arguing that it undercut the ‘one-China’ principle on which China-US relations are based. China threatened vague retaliatory measures against Taiwan. Impacts China will ramp up pressure on Taiwan through military activities, such as airspace violations. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will lose support within her party as she resists calls to pursue formal independence from China. Chinese President Xi Jinping's removal of presidential term limits and other illiberal policies will deepen suspicion of China in Taiwan.

Transnational activities of Colombians in the US

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Milena Santamaria Alvarez ◽  
Martyna S′liwa
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Collective Actions ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hometown Associations ◽  
Migrant Families ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Transnational Activities ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the transnational activities of Colombian migrants in the USA; the reasons why migrants engage, or not, in these activities; and the impact of migrants’ transnational activities at the household, community and national levels. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses data obtained from focus groups with migrant families and interviews with government officials and an expert researcher, as well as secondary data sources. Findings The main transnational activities in which Colombian migrants engage in are individually oriented, while participation in collective actions such as philanthropy or membership of political parties and hometown associations is limited. The impact of those activities varies when analysed at different levels. Overall, transnational activities of Colombian migrants can be seen as contributing to the perpetuation of south–north dependency, even if they help improve the socioeconomic situation of migrants and their families. Originality/value This paper contributes to the migration–development nexus debate by pointing to the significance of distinguishing the level of analysis (micro, meso and macro) when studying the impacts of transnationalism on development.

scholarly journals The role of power-addiction and maladaptive denial in the US federal COVID-19 response

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Ken Weidner II ◽  
Lisa A.T. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Federal Response ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
Us Federal Government ◽  
Key Events

PurposeGiven the substantial resources of the United States, the failure of the American federal response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been both tragic and avoidable. The authors frame this response as an artifact of power-addiction among administration officials and examine the US federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of maladaptive denial by government officials, including President Trump.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use qualitative research methods for this study by analyzing key events, public statements by administration officials from multiple credible media reports and US federal government websites. The authors analyzed these data using Weidner and Purohit's (2009) model describing maladaptive denial in organizations and power-addiction among leaders.FindingsThe authors' analysis identifies maladaptive denial – and the concomitant power-addiction – as significantly contributing to the Trump administration's failed response to COVID-19. Maladaptive denial and power-addiction characterized Trump as a candidate and for the three years of his presidency preceding the COVID-19 crisis. Whatever normative “guardrails” or checks and balances existed in the American system to restrict the administration's behavior before the crisis were ill-equipped to significantly prevent or alter the failed federal response to the pandemic.Originality/valueThe article applies the model of maladaptive denial in organizations (Weidner and Purohit, 2009) to the public sector, and explores the lengths to which power-addicted leaders and regimes can violate the public's trust in institutions in a crisis, even in the US, a liberal democracy characterized by freedom of political expression. While organizations and change initiatives may fail for a variety of reasons, this case revealed the extent to which maladaptive denial can permeate a government – or any organization – and its response to a crisis.

Bend it like FIFA: corruption on and off the pitch

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 866-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher John Boudreaux ◽  
Gokhan Karahan ◽  
Morris Coats
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethics Committee ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Sports Management ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economics Literature ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Subject

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the institutional background and the incentive for FIFA executives to engage in corrupt activities. The authors also highlight recent FIFA scandals and discuss approaches that may affect FIFA’s corruption in the future. Design/methodology/approach The authors approach this subject through a historical narrative. The authors review the literature on corruption and apply these findings to the FIFA organization. Due to many similarities, the authors are able to juxtapose the successes and failures of the Olympics, and apply these findings to FIFA. Findings Based on the examination, the authors find that FIFA’s corruption can be mitigated, but it is a very difficult task to accomplish. The US Department of Justice has helped to jump start a corruption reform in FIFA. This has also facilitated the activities of the FIFA ethics committee. However, only time will tell whether these changes will be meaningful and last. Originality/value The contribution is that the authors closely link the sports management and economics literature on corruption using FIFA as the subject of analysis. Because of the recent FIFA scandal, the authors are able to update the corruption literature as it applies to this organization and, more generally, in sports.

CFTC enters the market for anti-corruption enforcement

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
Alice S. Fisher ◽  
Douglas K. Yatter ◽  
Douglas N. Greenburg ◽  
William R. Baker III ◽  
Benjamin A. Dozier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Futures Trading ◽  
Voluntary Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Complex Landscape ◽  
Commodity Futures Trading Commission ◽  
And Training

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the March 6, 2019 enforcement advisory in which the Division of Enforcement (Division) of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) announced that it will work alongside the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and other agencies to investigate foreign bribery and corruption relating to commodities markets. Design/methodology/approach This paper explains the enforcement advisory and outlines key considerations for industry participants and their compliance teams, including the CFTC’s plan to investigate in parallel with other enforcement authorities, an expansion of the CFTC’s existing self-reporting, cooperation and remediation policy to address foreign corruption and the CFTC’s focus on market and economic integrity, and provides guidelines for commodities companies concerning anti-corruption compliance and training programs, investigating potential incidents of bribery and corruption, reporting obligations under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations, voluntary reporting of incidents of foreign corruption and whistleblowing. Findings The CFTC announcement adds a new dimension to an already crowded and complex landscape for anti-corruption enforcement. A range of industries, including energy, agriculture, metals, financial services, cryptocurrencies and beyond, must now consider the CFTC and the CEA when assessing global compliance and enforcement risks relating to bribery and corruption. Originality/value Expert guidance from lawyers with broad experience in white collar defense, investigations, financial services, securities, commodities, energy and derivatives.

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