Corruption

April 18, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Clinton today issued the following statement on new reports of corruption in the award of a $50 million contract to provide entertainment services at Air Force functions.

“The Bush Administration has again demonstrated its total disregard for transparency and accountability and is once more turning a blind eye to fraud, corruption and abuse of the federal contracting process on the backs of taxpayers.    » read more »

March 3, 2008, Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin released the following statement with regard to Jim Clark, the chief of staff to Republican former Governor Frank Murkowski.

“This is an indication that the federal corruption probe is very far reaching. It unfortunately proves what many had speculated was true. This reinforces our commitment to ensure that we serve Alaskans in a manner that's expected of state leaders.”

Source: Alaska Governor

New York, NY (February 6, 2007) - New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and State Inspector General Kristine Hamann today announced a multi-count indictment against James Jackson, the former Superintendent of the 69th Regiment Armory, a national historic landmark, on extortion and bribery charges.    » read more »

30 January 2008 -- A new report concludes that corruption continues to plague much of the world, and democratic reforms alone are not enough to guarantee honest governance.

Fighting corruption remains an exceptionally difficult challenge around the world. That is the conclusion of Global Integrity, a Washington-based non-profit monitoring group that focuses on issues of governance.    » read more »

World Bank Introduces New Measures to Strengthen Governance and Anti-Corruption

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2008 - The World Bank Group will implement the recommendations of the Volcker Report to strengthen its Department of Institutional Integrity (INT), which investigates fraud and corruption. The recommendations include creation of an independent advisory board composed of international anticorruption experts to protect the independence and strengthen the accountability of INT.    » read more »

21 December 2007 -- In South Africa, the attorney for Jacob Zuma, the newly elected president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has described as improper news that his client would soon be charged for corruption. This comes after the national prosecutor announced in a radio interview that there is enough evidence for him to make the decision on when to take action against Zuma. Michael Hulley questioned the timing of the announcement, saying state resources are being used against his client.    » read more »

Integrity Report Highlights Increased Investigations, New Tools, Better Donor Coordination

WASHINGTON, December 18, 2007 — The World Bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) made significant contributions to the global fight against corruption in Fiscal Year 2007, with a 25 percent increase in closed investigations from the previous fiscal year, the launch of a Voluntary Disclosure Program to deter private-sector corruption, and agreement on a coordinated approach to rooting out corruption among the International Financial Institutions, says a new report from the Bank.    » read more »

PROVIDENCE— Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts issued the following statement today regarding last week’s announcement by U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente of his agreement with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and the ensuing $20 million fine.    » read more »

November 9, 2007 -- Upon hearing the news that Bernard Kerik would be indicted on multiple corruption charges, Rudy Giuliani refused to say whether or not he would pardon his long time friend. Having helped shepherd Kerik's career, evidence suggests that Giuliani knew about Kerik's ethical problems and still promoted him from driver in his 1993 mayoral campaign to New York City's Corrections Department Commissioner to the city's police chief to business partner. [Daily News, 11/09/07]    » read more »

WASHINGTON (Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007) – The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and co-sponsored by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) that strengthens and clarifies key aspects of federal criminal law, and provides new tools to help law enforcement combat public corruption nationwide.    » read more »

November 1, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin issued this statement following today’s guilty verdicts in the federal corruption trial of Vic Kohring, a Republican former state representative.

“Although it is a sad day for Alaska, I applaud the jury for providing a just verdict. Public trust and integrity are the foundation of good government. Mr. Kohring clearly violated those tenets. He not only betrayed the trust of those who elected him, but the trust of those closest to him.    » read more »

October 25, 2007 -- Today, the Committee has the opportunity to consider the bipartisan “Public Corruption Prosecution Improvements Act of 2007,” a bill that I introduced with Senator Cornyn to strengthen and clarify key aspects of federal criminal law and provide new tools to help law enforcement attack public corruption nationwide.    » read more »

October 23, 2007 -- (Washington, DC) - Today, former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh testified that he believes the Department of Justice (DoJ) sought to prosecute a Pennsylvania Democrat for political reasons. He testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittees on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and Commercial and Administrative Law during a hearing titled, "Allegations of Selective Prosecution: The Erosion of Public Confidence in Our Federal Justice System." Supporting documents related to all of the cases discussed at today's hearing are available here.    » read more »

Sheriff Michael Shumate, former Chief Deputy Ken Farren face public corruption charges

October 17, 2007 -- AMARILLO – A Potter County, Texas grand jury today issued public corruption charges against three suspects, two of whom were indicted for illegally using their senior positions at the Potter County Sheriff’s Department for personal gain.    » read more »

October 16, 2007 -- "If the government in Iraq is so corrupt that our State Department won’t even tell us about it…if it’s so corrupt that it is undermining any chance of political progress, then how can we ask our brave men and women to risk their lives there? We are putting them in an impossible situation."

Today the House overwhelming passed the Iraq corruption resolution, H.Res. 734, which condemns the State Department for withholding information about Iraqi corruption from the Congress and the American people. The strongly worded rebuke passed by a vote of 395-21.    » read more »