On Tuesday, former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver received a welcomed victory, albeit partial, in the Government’s long running prosecution accusing him of fraud, extortion and money laundering....more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently held that the heightened “official acts” standard for domestic bribery cases — announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in McDonnell v. United States — is inapplicable to...more
In an interesting decision, well worth a read, on August 9, 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected Ng Lap Seng’s appeal of his 2017 conviction for bribery of united Nationals officials. ...more
The Second Circuit’s decision in United States v. Ng Lap Seng is a win for the government, because it reinforces the broad reach and scope of the Justice Department’s enforcement of the FCPA. When adopting and implementing an...more
There is no universal definition of corruption. Frankly, the term can be narrowly defined to focus on bribery or it can be given a wider application, extending to abuse of power. Transparency International defines...more
We continue our Hunter S. Thompson themed week in honor of Michael Cohen and his Essential Consulting LLC entity. Today we honor Thompson’s alter ego Uncle Duke. For those who might not know just who Uncle Duke might be, you...more
We continue our Hunter S. Thompson themed week in honor of Michael Cohen and his Essential Consulting LLC entity and his work which he sardonically named “Project Sunlight”. There may not be a finer example of full Gonzo...more
I hope you were able to check out the first ever Compliance Into The Weeds emergency podcast, where Matt Kelly and myself took a look at some of the initial information which came out about the payments to the president’s...more
Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia moved to dismiss public corruption charges against former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell, and his wife, Maureen McDonnell. The decision comes...more
For everyone who makes a living trying to influence – or just to understand – state public policy, the most important Supreme Court decision of the year may have been one of the last decisions it issued. On the last day...more
On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the conviction of former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell, narrowing the definition of an “official act” in federal corruption cases. McDonnell v. United States, No. 15-474 (2016)....more
The Supreme Court has reversed Gov. Bob McDonnell's conviction for bribery under the Hobbs Act. In ruling his conviction must be set aside, the High Court conceded the case was "distasteful," but unanimously concluded that...more