FCPA Institute – Zoom (Nov. 10-12)
Since 2014, the FCPA Institute has elevated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act knowledge and practical skills of professionals from around the world. The FCPA Institute began as an in-person event, but shifted to Zoom in 2020. The Zoom event is time and cost efficient and has resulted in greater participation from professionals around the world.
The next FCPA Institute – Zoom will be offered on November 10-12 and consists of 9 hours of integrated and cohesive instruction (each day from 8:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. U.S. central) led by Professor Koehler, an FCPA expert with FCPA practice and teaching experience.
On A Different Topic …
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and basketball.
Those are kind of my things.
In this recent episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast, I discussed my journey as a high school and college basketball player, a high school coach (at my alma mater in Elkhart Lake, WI), and as the founder and program director of Mammoth Basketball.
FCPA Institute – Zoom (Nov. 10-12)
Since 2014, the FCPA Institute has elevated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act knowledge and practical skills of professionals from around the world. The FCPA Institute began as an in-person event, but shifted to Zoom in 2020. The Zoom event is time and cost efficient and has resulted in greater participation from professionals around the world.
The next FCPA Institute – Zoom will be offered on November 10-12 and consists of 9 hours of integrated and cohesive instruction (each day from 8:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. U.S. central) led by Professor Koehler, an FCPA expert with FCPA practice and teaching experience.
FCPA Defendant Seeks Grand Jury Testimony Of Federal Agent
As highlighted in this prior post, in August 2024 the DOJ announced that a “federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment … charging three executives of an election voting machine and service provider company and a former Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the Republic of the Philippines for their roles in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme to retain and obtain business related to the 2016 Philippine elections. […] These bribes were allegedly paid to obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections and to secure payments on the contracts, including the release of value added tax payments.”
Although not mentioned in the indictment, the company at issue is Smartmatic (and related entities).
The individuals charged with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act offenses were:
- Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez (a citizen of Venezuela and resident of Florida described as a cofounder, Chief Operating Officer and President of Company 1 who was also and employee of Company 2); and
- Jorge Miguel Vasquez (a citizen of the U.S. and executive for Company 2 in Florida who managed hardware development and manufacturing worldwide for Company 1 who reported to Pinate).
Recently, Vasquez filed a motion requesting that the “Court order the release of the transcript of Special Agent Cole Almeida’s testimony before the Grand Jury.”
The Story Of George McLean
This is the second part of a two-part series (originally published in 2013) concerning George McLean, a historic individual in terms of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act history in that he was the first to put the DOJ to its burden of proof in FCPA history. And he won, both in terms of a pre-trial dismissal of substantive FCPA charges (see this prior post) and at trial on an FCPA conspiracy charge as he was found not guilty.
Part one of the series detailed McLean’s life prior to the criminal indictment in 1982, his views concerning the circumstances leading up to the case, and his decision to fight for his innocence and the impact it had on his life.
Part two of George McLean’s story has him waiting for the jury verdict in his case. McLean also comments on the DOJ calling his not guilty verdict merely a “sympathy verdict” and offers his perspective on the so-called Eckhardt Amendment (see this prior post) no longer being a part of the FCPA. You will learn what McLean (78 years old) is up to today as well as his observations regarding FCPA enforcement and FCPA Inc.
George McLean continues his story in his own words.