The history of corruption is that it is difficult to keep it ‘on the high seas’

“It will mean many more businesses for the United States.” Trump told reporters while signing the order at the Oval office.

It is a myopic movement. The punishing companies that participate in corruption abroad protect their honest competitors, which are often other US companies, and prevents corruption from turning to the United States.

The Global Defense Contractor RTX Corporation, previously known as Raytheon, for example, faced positions derived from the investigations of both the Department of Justice and the Bag and Securities Commission. Last year, the company agreed to pay more than $ 950 million to resolve accusations that it defrauded the United States government and paid bribes to secure business with Qatar.

According to judicial documents, employees and agents of RTX Pagured bribes to a high -ranking military officer to help win lucrative contracts with the Qatari Emiri Air Force and Qatar’s armed forces. Prosecutors say that RTX officials approved the bribery by signing at least $ 2 million in simulated contracts with a company owned by the Qatar official.

But The settlement It also included a fine and recognition of $ 146 million that RTX employees had “provided false and fraudulent information to (Department of Defense) during contract negotiations related to two contracts with the United States for the benefit of a foreign partner, one To buy patriot missile systems and the other to operate and maintain a radar system. ”

In other words, it was the American taxpayers who paid the price of corruption, to the agreement.

The lesson is: once corruption is strengthened, it is difficult to stop it on the edge of the water.

RTX said, in a statement issued at that time, that it is “assuming responsibility for the misconduct that happened.”

That was only one of the 26 compliance actions related to the FCPA presented in 2024, according to the Trump Administration Information Sheet and at least 31 companies (or individuals) were under investigation at the end of last year.

One of those companies is Steward. Like him Globe Spotlight Team Inform, the CEO of Steward, Ralph de la Torre and Armin Ernst, the head of their international operations, have been accused of participating in a bribery scheme that involves an agreement to take care of some of Malta’s hospitals.

Presumably that probe is among those that are now waiting.

This is not the first time Trump tries to end the Law on Foreign Corrupt Practices. At the beginning of his first term, he supposedly mentioned the idea to the then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Only to obtain the rejection of the former Exxon executive for the fact that Congress approved the law and, therefore, must have the task of repealing it.

But, like him The New Yorker reported At that time, Tillerson also reported an incident during his days when an oil minister Yemení gave him a presentation card with his Swiss bank account number on the back. Tillerson refused to pay the requested bribery of $ 5 million, but Exxon obtained the treatment anyway. It is reported that Tillerson told Trump: “The United States did not need to pay bribes,” making a launch that was the United States that “could bring to our own standards to the world.”

That was always the idea.

“The US FCPA application has long been a gold standard in the fight against corruption,” François Valérian, president of International Transparency, wrote. A statement Published on the organization’s website. “Weakening will empower criminals and send a dangerous sign that bribery has returned to the table. … This is a betrayal of the leadership of the United States in global anti -corruption efforts and a gift for those who benefit from bribes and illicit financial flows. “

The principles of FCPA have also been adopted internationally by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and the Development of the Anti-Cibrenería Convention and the UN Convention against Corruption, which will have to continue without the benefit of the leadership of the United States.

Trump’s executive order indicates that after the mandatory “review”, the Department of Justice will issue “new application policies”.

That the president has put in waiting an act of Congress seems not to bother the republican majority in that branch of the Government.

All of which leaves the private sector to step forward, especially business leaders, who are surely not as willing as Trump seems to think that they must accept the payment of bribes to foreign officials as another cost of doing business.

Corruption demands its cost for all. And as we saw in the RTX case, there is no guarantees that corruption on the high seas remains on the high seas. Taxpayers, taxpayers and customers here will also pay the price.

The publishers represent the opinions of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @Globeopinion.