Lifting the Fog Over Lobbying Compliance - updated with impact of COVID-19 on NYS lobbying community
[WEBINAR] "Walking the Line" - Public Agencies', Officials' and Employees' Roles in Local Elections
[WEBINAR] Who Does What? Defining Proper Roles for Staff and Elected Officials
Bribery & Corruption in the Military. A Front-Line View (Part II)
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
Blogging for Lawyers
On June 26, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in a public corruption case that could have a lasting impact on how the U.S. Government prosecutes corruption and procurement fraud cases involving state and local...more
Readers of prior Firm client alerts in the white-collar criminal space will no doubt recall the Supreme Court's recent trend of scaling back the powers of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in prosecuting public corruption...more
In the latest example of the Roberts court reining in the government’s use of broadly worded criminal statutes, on June 26, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Snyder that the federal bribery statute does not...more
On June 26, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Snyder v. United States, No. 23-108, holding that federal statute 18 U. S. C. § 666, which makes it a crime for most state and local officials to “corruptly” solicit, accept,...more
The sentencing of Romy Andrianarisoa, the first ever foreign public official to be convicted under the Bribery Act 2010, provides important takeaways. On 10 May 2024, Romy Andrianarisoa was sentenced to three-and-a-half...more
The breadth of the recently enacted FEPA presents pitfalls for U.S. companies dealing with foreign governments and state-owned entities requiring significant caution and effective compliance controls....more
In Snyder v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States could redefine the legal boundaries regarding federal bribery as it prepares to answer whether the primary federal bribery statute, 18 U.S.C. § 666,...more
In November 2021, for the first time in Ohio history, a public school superintendent and four elected board of education members were criminally charged for activities related to a levy campaign designed to financially...more
On October 18, 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors don’t need to wait for an investigation by the Ohio Ethics Commission before prosecuting a public official charged with violating Ohio’s ethics laws....more
Can a private citizen who holds no elected office or government position owe a fiduciary duty to the general public such that he can be convicted of honest services fraud? On June 30, 2022, the Supreme Court granted...more
On October 1, 2020, the new Instruction on the Investigation and Prosecution of Foreign Corruption for the Dutch Public Prosecution Service ("DPPS") entered into force, indicating certain factors that play a role in...more
We are pleased to present the seventh edition of Global Legal Insights – Bribery and Corruption. This book sets out the legal environment in relation to bribery and corruption enforcement in 28 countries and one region...more
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
Last November, a Connecticut jury convicted Mr. Hoskins on six counts of bribing a foreign public official under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and on three counts of money laundering. This is an important red...more
A recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit resolved several issues under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) in a manner favorable to prosecutors. In United States v. Ng Lap...more
On August 9, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied the appeal by a Chinese real estate developer of his 2017 conviction arising from the alleged bribery of United Nations (“UN”) officials....more
Last week, the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission (“Commission”) entered into a public consent agreement to fine a sitting state representative $14,000 for violating state ethics law. The Commission’s final adjudication,...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
The Second Circuit (Winter, Raggi, Hellerstein by designation)yesterday, vacated by summary order the convictions of former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam Skelos. Dean and Adam Skelos were...more
On July 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the conviction of former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was convicted in 2015 on seven counts of honest services fraud, Hobbs Act...more
On July 10, 2017, in United States v. Boyland, No. 15-3118 (Kearse, Walker, Hall), the Second Circuit affirmed the conviction of former New York State Assembly member William F. Boyland, Jr. on twenty-one counts of public...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the parent company of United Airlines has agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle charges for providing a public official with more convenient flight options. The parent...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
On September 8, 2016, the United States moved to dismiss the charges against Robert F. McDonnell and his wife Maureen McDonnell. The reason given for the decision was short but thoughtful: "After carefully considering the...more
The Supreme Court’s decision in the McDonnell case was expected. It was evident that the Supreme Court was going to reverse the convictions when it granted a stay of McDonnell’s sentence and agreed to hear the case....more