On Monday, the president of the USA Donald Trump He signed an executive decree that freezes the implementation of the federal law that makes a crime of bribery by US companies of foreign officials. On the same day, he gave full thanks to former Illinois ruler Rod Blagotjevic because he tried to sell a headquarters to the Senate, while the Ministry of Justice ordered the accusations of retirement for corruption State official against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Overall, all of these moves demonstrate the willingness of the new government to corruption – at least for the president’s allies.

FBI’s telephone surveillance caught Blagotzhtzenna is discussing the sale of a “golden” Senate ticket, to fill the position left vacant when Barack Obama was elected president. He also received $ 25,000 from the Chief Executive Officer of a Children’s Hospital in exchange for the approval of rental compensation policies, and demanded $ 100,000 starring to sign a racing bill. In 2020, Trump gave a former Celebrity Apprentice contestant, who was released, having only eight years out of the 14 years that had been imposed on him. Blagotzevic has even gained the president’s favor when he said he knows firsthand what it is like to prosecute by the federal prosecutors.

This argument had undoubtedly resonance with Trump and also explains his decision to escape Adams. In September, Adams said innocent of the charges of enjoying luxurious trips and had illegally received funding by foreign campaign in exchange for political rusks, such as accelerating the approval of a new Turkish consulate in Manhattan. that it is not safe. A few weeks ago, the prosecutor’s office (now asked to reject the charges) told the court that he had discovered “additional criminal behavior” of the mayor. But Adams, although democratic, strangely claimed that the Ministry of Justice was prosecuting him because he opposed President Joe Biden’s immigration policy.

However, Trump’s most blatant move is his mandate to the Prosecutor, Pam Bodai, to stop prosecution under the Abroad Act (FCPA) until the latter sets new conditions for the use of this law. This law, adopted after the Watergate scandal, was considered the crown in America’s fight against world corruption, but Trump had many times criticized him. During his first term in the White House, he had thought of abolishing the law, but then Foreign Minister Rex Tillerson – who was previously Managing Director of ExxonMobil – had expressed his opposition.

For almost half a century, the law on corruption abroad has proved to be extremely effective in preventing multinational businesses from illegal practices. The fact that they could suffer significant consequences in the event of a systematic bribery was an incentive for US companies to avoid such practices, which also helps reduce costs. In addition, the US government had very effectively used the law to move against foreign businesses, such as the Swiss Glencore commodity colossus, and to punish large banks for irregular practices, such as Goldman Sachs for its role in “looting” a government fund of Malaysia.

Now, however, the US president believes that it is not fair for US companies that they cannot bribe, as they are disadvantaged by competition. “It was an idea by Jimmy Carter, and while it looks bad, it’s not,” Trump said on Monday.

The president himself has important business interests outside the US border. Trump Organization, from which he has not left, has recently signed hotels and golf resorts in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In October, shortly before the election, the RTX defense system reached an agreement with the Ministry of Justice to pay nearly $ 1 billion to settle charges of over -pricing federal contracts and foreign bribery. The company, formerly known as Raytheon, acknowledged that its employees had been involved in a bribery case of a senior Qatar Air Force official between 2012 and 2016, in violation of the FCPA law. If the government now proclaims that it will turn a blind eye, such practical probability will become routine. Who benefits from it?

Additional concerns about Trump’s attitude in favor of bad practices raises the fact that he is trying to dismiss the head of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, who is responsible for the implementation of the Hatch Law, which prohibits federal officials from being involved in party activities. as well as the head of the office of government ethics. (Late on Monday, a judge ordered that the fired head of the office of the special prosecutor is temporarily remedied while challenging his dismissal.) Remember the dismissal of ten and more general inspectors last month, in violation of the statute of Congress.

Trump also recently signed an executive decree that canceled Biden’s ban on executive officials to receive significant gifts from executives and ended the two -year withdrawal period for registered lobbyists who joined the executive. We are talking about such a situation. The courts may have already been flooded with lawsuits, and the Congress controlled by Republicans wants to avoid any clashes with the president, but it is vital that judges and MPs are doing their constitutional duty to control the executive. It is the only way to prevent the slide of the United States in a “golden age of corruption”.