Bribe, Swindle or Steal

Illya Antonenko, TRACE’s Director of Compliance Resources, joins the podcast to talk about his perception of Eastern European corruption through an American lens. Illya grew up in the former Soviet Union and, as an adult, moved to the United States where he began his legal and compliance career.

Hentie Dirker, Chief Integrity Officer with SNC Lavalin, speaks to Jonathan Drimmer of Paul Hastings about building a culture of compliance in the aftermath of a bribery scandal.

Julia Yansura, Program Manager with Global Financial Integrity, joins the podcast to discuss the role that gold plays in illicit financial flows worldwide, exacerbating problems from money laundering to sanctions violations.

For World Pangolin Day on Saturday, we’re reposting our podcast about the beleaguered pangolin. Professor Katharine Abernethy discusses the dramatic and illegal overhunting and subsequent smuggling of pangolins, the most trafficked animal in the world, to supply the Asian market with their scales believed—without evidence—to cure cancer.

Etelle Higonnet with the National Wildlife Federation takes us through the complex and intersecting problems raised by the cocoa industry: environmental degradation, child labor and extreme financial disparities that prevent most cocoa farmers from ever tasting the chocolate they grow.

On today’s podcast, Tom Burgis discusses his latest book: “Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World.” Tom joins me for a webinar hosted by Tom Keating of RUSI, in London.

We’re reposting the conversation with Marcus Stern, who broke the story about the bribery scheme that landed Congressman Randall “Duke” Cunningham in jail for seven years. Cunningham also pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion.

Michael Johnston joins the podcast to discuss his new book, with co-author Scott Fritzen: The Conundrum of Corruption. Michael is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Colgate University and has written extensively on the underlying causes of corruption and how best to tackle it. In this podcast, he urges a new approach to the problem.

Nicola Bonucci and Nat Edmonds, in Paul Hastings’ Paris and Washington offices respectively, discuss the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the Working Group and its recent Phase 4 review of the United States and wrap up with some recommendations for multinational corporations.

Tom Best, a partner in Paul Hastings’ Washington office, joins the podcast to review sanctions policy under the Trump Administration and then makes some predictions about what we should expect from President Biden in 2021.