No relief in sight from debt burden
Muhammad Jehangir
Contrary to earlier projections, Pakistan’s debt burden is set to rise further in the years ahead. According to the staff level report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan’s external debt will peak to $130 billion within four years – a net addition of $34.6 billion or 36.3pc under the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.
The total external debt burden was $95.4-billion when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government completed its term. The IMF has now projected that the external debt may rise to $130 billion by the end of fiscal year 2022-23. This means that there will be a minimum net addition of $34.6 billion to the external debt despite repayment of $48 billion in five years during the tenure of the PTI government. In other words, the PTI government will borrow a staggering $83 billion in five years to service the old debt, finance the current account deficit and build foreign exchange reserves. It may be recalled that PM Imran Khan has severely criticised the growth in the public debt during the PML-N and PPP tenures and has now set up a commission to investigate the borrowings. But now he has resorted to the same practice.
An analysis of available figures shows that Pakistan would pay back $37.4 billion during the IMF’s 39-month programme period (July 2019 to September 2022). According to a statement issued by the Federal Revenue Minister two weeks ago, the PTI government has already returned $9.5 billion worth of external debt in the last fiscal year 2018-19. It needs to be pointed out that IMF debt projections are based on the assumption that Pakistan will fully implement structural reforms under its programme. But in case Pakistan could not fully implement the reforms, the external debt as a percentage of the national GDP could hit 60% — double the ratio left behind by the PML-N government.
As per the latest calculations, the external debt, which was $95.4 billion or 30.3% of GDP in fiscal year 2017-18, touched $104.2 billion or 36.7% of GDP last fiscal year. The $104.2-billion external debt was equal to 345% of Pakistan’s total export receipts. The projection for the current fiscal year is that the external debt will peak at $112.5 billion, which would be equal to 43.4% of GDP. In terms of export receipts, the external debt is projected at 346%. In this fiscal year, the PTI government will also return $14.9 billion in public external debt, which means it would borrow $23 billion during the year. In the next fiscal year 2020-21, the external public debt is projected to grow to $119 billion, which will be equal to 43.5% of GDP and 334% of the country’s total export receipts. In the fiscal year, Pakistan will also return $13.5 billion of public external debt. This will increase the annual external borrowings to $20 billion.
In a recent statement, the IMF said that under its 39-month programme, “external debt is projected to steadily decline after peaking in fiscal year 2020-21, returning to a more sustainable path”. For fiscal year 2021-22, the IMF has projected the external debt at $124.6 billion, which will be equal to 42.2% of GDP and 325% of exports. The external public debt repayment in this year has been estimated at $7.6 billion, which brings the borrowing requirement down to $13.2 billion. The downturn in external debt will result from a combination of positive factors, including a narrower current account deficit, non-debt creating capital inflows and a recovery in economic growth.
An underlying assumption is that Pakistan would shift its short-term borrowings to long-term debt instruments by 2021-22. This may or may not come about, depending on the circumstances as they unfold. At the same time, there are some downside risks to the projected debt path which cannot be ignored. The external debt-to-GDP ratio would be adversely affected by current account and exchange rate shocks in which case the external debt ratio would reach around 60%. Clearly, Pakistan is faced with serious debt management issues which need careful handling in a treacherous international financial situation.
The Finance Ministry has a Debt Management Department which must get its act together to tackle the looming debt storm. Pakistan has borrowed recklessly for decades, a policy which has brought it close to bankruptcy. This must change and a more prudently devised pick-and-choose policy should be adopted. In the future, more reliance should be placed on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). For the purpose, more investor-friendly policies should be framed with an attractive package of incentives for foreign businesspeople. Equally important is the need to push exports to build foreign exchange reserves which is the only way to get out of the external debt trap. In cases where borrowing is inevitable, care should be taken to ensure that the terms are soft and the payback period is of longer duration.
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Baby Suffers Severe Brain Injury After Assault by Lubbock Man
Malcom Dixon-White ( Lubbock County Detention Center)
A Lubbock man has been indicted for injuring an infant to the point of near-death.
KAMC News reports the incident occurred on September 11th, 2020, when a 14-month-old girl was brought to the emergency room at University Medical Center.
The girl’s mother told nurses and later police that she had been injured after falling off a couch. A doctor would later tell police that the story was unlikely, as the girl had suffered a severe head injury, brain swelling, and was fighting for her life.
Police then questioned 25-year-old Malcom Dixon-White (pictured above), the man who may have been in a relationship with the girl’s mother. Dixon-White allegedly admitted to police that he hit the infant multiple times with a pillow and shoes before throwing her onto the couch and dropping her on the floor.
Dixon-White was arrested four days after the incident on Sept. 15th and charged with aggravated assault. KAMC News also reports that he faces a felony charge of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18, but that charge is unrelated to this case.
Dixon-White has now been indicted in federal court for the charge of aggravated assault and was last reported to be held in the Lubbock County Detention Center on a combined $310,000 bond.
Police did not say whether the infant’s mother knew about the assault or if she was lied to about the incident by Dixon-White. After the assault, the infant girl had to undergo surgery at the hospital and it’s being reported that she may be hindered by her injuries for the rest of her life.
Filed Under: aggravated assault, Crime, infant, Lubbock Police Department, Malcom Dixon-White, Prostitution


Home / Program Offices / Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization / About OSDBU / Small Business Types and Programs
Small Business Types and Programs
Small Business Set Aside Program
Small Disadvantaged Business Certification Program
8(a) Business Development Program
SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program
HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program
Women-Owned Small Business
Small Business Subcontracting Program
A business that is independently owned and operated and which is not dominant in its field of operation and in conformity with specific industry criteria defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Depending on the industry, size standard eligibility is based on the average number of employees for the preceding twelve months or on sales volume averaged over a three-year period. As of October 2008, small businesses may self-represent their status as small disadvantaged businesses (SDB’s) on the System for Award Management (SAM). Small businesses are not required to submit an application to the SBA for SDB status.
The Federal Government is required to reserve a fair proportion of its total purchases and contracts for property and services for small business concerns. The Government does this by reserving or "setting aside," entire procurements or parts of procurements for small businesses. This does not guarantee that any particular small business will receive a contract. It means that only small businesses may compete for the contract ("total small business set-aside") or the reserved portion ("partial small business set-aside").
The Government is also required to buy goods and services at competitive, fair market prices. Therefore, contracts are set aside only when at least two qualified small businesses are expected to submit offers that are competitive in terms of market prices, quality and delivery. In this context, "market price" means a price based on reasonable costs under normal competitive conditions, and not lowest possible cost.
Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Certification Program
The Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Certification Program is one of two SBA programs targeted towards providing business assistance to small disadvantaged businesses. SDB certification pertains specifically to federal procurement. SDB firms are eligible for special bidding benefits. Also, SDBs increase their subcontracting opportunities with prime contractors who accumulate evaluation credits by subcontracting to qualified SDBs. As of October 2008, small businesses may self-represent their status as small disadvantaged businesses (SDB's) on the System for Award Management (SAM). Small businesses are not required to submit an application to the SBA for SDB status.
An SDB is a small business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual or individuals.
Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of their identification as members of certain groups. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and Native Americans are presumed to quality. Other individuals can qualify if they show by a "preponderance of the evidence" that they are disadvantaged. All individuals must have a net worth of less than $750,000, excluding the equity of the business and primary residence. Successful applicants must also meet applicable size standards for small businesses in their industry.
Economically disadvantaged individuals are socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same or similar line of business who are not socially disadvantaged. Economically disadvantaged must be established for all applicants. The SBA determines eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
More information on the Small Disadvantaged Businesses Certification Program.
SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program offers a broad scope of assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged firms; it was created to help eligible small disadvantaged businesses become independently competitive in the federal procurement market. A firm must be 51% owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual or individuals to be eligible for the 8(a) Program; 8(a) firms automatically qualify for SDB certification. Unlike the SDB Program, 8(a) applicants must generally be in business for at least two years before applying. The SBA must certify small businesses that want to claim 8(a) status.
Program participation is divided into two stages: the developmental stage and the transitional stage. The developmental stage is four years and the transitional stage is five years. The developmental stage is designed to help 8(a) certified firms overcome their economic disadvantage by providing business development assistance. The transitional stage is designed to help participants overcome the remaining elements of economic disadvantage and to prepare participants for leaving the 8(a) Program.
The requirements to enroll in the SBA's 8(a) Program are similar to those for SDBs with the exception that an applicant's personal net worth must be less than $250,000 (excluding the applicant's ownership interest of the business and primary residence) for initial eligibility. For continued 8(a) eligibility after admission to the program, net worth must be less than $750,000. The SBA will also consider the individual's average two-year income, fair market value of all assets, access to credit and capital, and the financial condition of the applicant firm in evaluating economic disadvantage.
Firms participating in the 8(a) Program may take advantage of specialized business training, counseling, marketing assistance, and high-level executive development provided by the SBA and its resource partners. They may also be eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans and bonding assistance. In addition, 8(a) Program participants are eligible to participate in the SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program.
More information on the 8(a) Business Development Program
The Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to enhance the capabilities of eligible 8(a) firms and to improve their ability to successfully compete for and receive federal government contracts. Mentors provide technical and management assistance, financial aid in the form of equity investments and/or loans, subcontracting support and assistance in performing prime contracts through joint venture arrangements with 8(a) firms for which 8(a) firms would otherwise not qualify.
Mentor and protégé firms must enter into an SBA-approved written agreement outlining the protégé's needs and describing the assistance the mentor has committed to providing. The Agreement must also specify that the Mentor will provide such assistance to the Protégé firm for at least one year.
More information on the SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program
The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program provides federal contracting opportunities for small business concerns located in economically distressed communities in order to increase employment opportunities, stimulate capital investments in those areas, and empower communities through economic leveraging. HUBZone areas are determined by various census data. To qualify as a HUBZone, a business must meet the following criteria:
It must be a small business by SBA size standards;
Its principal office must be located within a HUBZone, which includes lands on federally recognized Indian reservations;
It must be owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens. Approved ownership can also be by a Community Development Corporation or Indian tribe; and
At least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone.
The SBA must certify small businesses that want to claim HUBZone status. HUBZone businesses are eligible to receive sole-source or set-aside contracts, or receive a price preference up to 10% when competing for full and open competition procurements.
More information on the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
A service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern is a small business that is at least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans. In the case of publicly owned businesses, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans and the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans or in the case of a veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran.
Service-disabled veteran means a veteran with a disability that is service-connected; the disability was incurred in the line of duty while serving in the U.S. active military, naval or air service.
SDVOSBs are eligible for sole source contracts and restricted competitions. All contracts valued at $100,000 or more include a clause, which requires the prime contractor to provide the maximum practicable opportunity to SDVOSBs to compete for subcontracts.
More information on Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small
Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
A veteran-owned small business concern is a small business that is at least 51% owned by one or more veterans. In the case of publicly owned businesses, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more veterans and the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more veterans. VOSBs are not eligible for sole source contracts and procurement set-asides however the FAR requires federal agencies to actively encourage their prime contractors to use VOSBs as subcontractors. All contracts valued at $100,000 or more include a clause, which requires the prime contractor to provide the maximum practicable opportunity to VOSBs to compete for subcontracts.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
A women-owned small business concern is a small business that is at least 51% owned by one or more women. In the case of publicly owned businesses, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more women and the management and daily operations of the business are controlled by one or more women.
More information on Women-Owned Small Businesses
The successful offeror or bidder on contracts valued at $500,000 or more ($1 million for construction) must submit an acceptable subcontracting plan that sets percentage (based on the contract's total value) and dollar goals for the award of subcontracts to small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, small disadvantaged business and women-owned small business concerns. (Note: Small business concerns receiving prime contracts are exempt from this requirement.)
OSDBU staff and contracting officers review all subcontracting plans by prime contractors to ensure compliance with subcontracting requirements. The subcontracting plan must be submitted and accepted before the contract may be awarded. Also, according to the FAR, any contractor receiving a contract for more than $100,000 (simplified acquisition threshold) must agree in the contract that small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, small disadvantaged business and women-owned small business concerns will have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in contract performance consistent with its efficient performance.
About Large Businesses


Trump says ‘there will be an orderly transition’ as Congress certifies Biden’s electoral win
by: Alexa Mencia, Sydney Kalich, Michael Geheren, and Haley Townsend
WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — Congress formally confirmed Joe Biden’s presidential election victory after an overnight joint session was delayed by violent protests. Shortly after the certification, President Trump issued a statement promising an “orderly transition on January 20th.”
Law enforcement officers secured the U.S. Capitol building after pro-Trump supporters breached the perimeter and entered the building as Congress met Wednesday afternoon. Lawmakers reconvened late Wednesday evening, intending to vote and affirm Joe Biden’s presidential win.
The Senate recessed its debate over an objection to the results of the Electoral College after protesters forced police to lock down the building. The scene was declared a riot by police, and a curfew for DC is in effect. One woman was shot inside the Capitol and taken to the hospital; she has died from her injuries. Officials said late Wednesday she was killed when an officer discharged their service weapon. Lawmakers reconvened Wednesday evening shortly after 8 p.m. EST.
Washington, D.C., Police Chief Robert Contee said three other people died in “medical emergencies.”
Congress first began the joint session at 1 p.m. ET to count and confirm the Electoral College vote won by Biden, while thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump rallied near the White House before some demonstrators became violent and breached the Capitol building.
Trump’s Republican allies in the House and Senate had planned to object to the election results, which the president continues to challenge. The effort will likely fail and be defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress who are prepared to accept the election results.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.
Below is a timeline of updates from the NewsNation team. All times local.
5:55 a.m. – The citywide curfew in D.C. is set to expire. Mayor Muriel Bower issued the curfew Wednesday afternoon and it began at 6 p.m. EST. However, the city will be under a public emergency order until at least Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.
3:55 a.m. – After Congress certified Biden’s win, Trump issued a statement promising an “orderly transition on January 20th.”
Trump says in a statement tweeted by his Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th.”
He adds: “I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again.”
There was no widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by a range of election officials and by William Barr, who stepped down as attorney general last month.
Trump’s account is currently locked by Twitter.
3:41 a.m. – Congress confirmed Joe Biden’s Electoral College win after an overnight joint session was delayed by violent protesters. Biden defeated Trump by 306-232 electoral votes and will be inaugurated Jan. 20.
3:30 a.m. – Joe Biden reaches 270 confirmed Electoral College votes.
3:11 a.m. – The House joined the Senate and voted to reject the objections to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. Lawmakers in the House voted 282-138 against the objection.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the Senate and House will now resume a joint session to continue considering 2020 election results.
2:20 a.m. – A small group of House lawmakers came close to physically fighting as the congressional count of electoral votes stretched into the wee hours and a Pennsylvania Democrat charged that Republicans had been telling “lies” about his state’s votes.
Rep. Morgan Griffiths, R-Va., objected after Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., said a breach of the Capitol by an angry mob earlier in the day was “inspired by lies, the same lies you are hearing in this room tonight.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot down the objection, but a few minutes later Republicans and Democrats streamed to the middle aisle, with around a dozen lawmakers getting close to each other and arguing. But the group quickly broke up when Pelosi called for order on the floor.
12:45 a.m. – The Senate voted 92-7 to reject the objections to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. The House is still in discussion and has at least 90 more minutes to continue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he didn’t expect anymore votes to challenge the election results after the House votes. Those objecting to Pennsylvania’s votes include 80 House Republicans and Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley.
A person holds the certificate of votes from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania during a joint session of Congress after the session resumed following protests at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, early on January 7, 2021. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
12:16 a.m. – At least one Senator and Representative objected to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. Both chambers of Congress will now deliberate for two hours.
San Diego man says woman killed in Capitol siege was his wife
11:17 p.m. – The U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in rejecting a move by allies of President Donald Trump to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona, a vote delayed by rioters earlier pushing their way into the U.S. Capitol. The House of Representatives voted 303-121 against the measure. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the Senate and House will now resume a joint session to continue considering 2020 election results.
11:10 p.m. – At least four people died in and around the Capitol Complex, according to acting chief of Metro Police Robert Contee in a Wednesday night press conference. One of those deaths was a woman who was killed after a Capitol Police Officer discharged their service weapon. Authorities didn’t identify the person, but she was identified by her husband as the person who was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon.
The three others died because of medical emergencies. At least 52 people were arrested, authorities said.
14 D.C. officers sustained injuries, authorities said. One officer suffered serious injuries and is currently hospitalized. One officer received significant facial injuries after being struck by a projectile. Two pipe bombs were found, authorities said, at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters and Republican National Committee Headquarters.
10:15 p.m. – The Senate has voted to allow Arizona’s electoral votes after a challenge to the vote. The House is still in 2 hours of debate, which will continue between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. After that, the joint session of Congress will continue alphabetically counting the votes. It’s unclear if there will be more objections in other states.
‘It’s an armed insurrection’: Sen. Blumenthal describes what transpired inside Capitol
9:15 p.m. – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress’ certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election win will show the world it won’t back down.
Pelosi made her comments as the House reconvened after being shut down for hours Wednesday by unruly pro-Trump protesters. She said that every four years the ritual provides an example to the world of American democracy.
Pelosi says, “Despite the shameful actions of today, we will still do so, we will be part of a history that shows the world what America is made of.”
Pelosi, a Roman Catholic, noted that Wednesday is the feast of the Epiphany and prayed that the violence would be “an epiphany to heal” for the country.
Did DC protesters break the law? Ashleigh Banfield provides legal analysis of US Capitol situation
8:55 p.m. – Multiple Republican senators have reversed course and now say they won’t object to congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Their change of heart came after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier Wednesday and interrupted their proceedings. One person was fatally shot.
Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, Mike Braun of Indiana and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia all said in light of the violence they would stand down from planned objections to Biden’s win.
Lawmakers gathered to certify the Electoral College votes from each state were forced to evacuate after an angry mob of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol. Loeffler said that the “violence, the lawlessness, and siege of the halls of Congress” were a “direct attack” on the “sanctity of the American democratic process.”
All three had previously signed on to Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud to explain his defeat. Loeffler has just days left in her term. She lost her Senate race to Democrat Raphael Warnock earlier Wednesday.
WATCH: Photos, videos of protesters occupying US Capitol
8:42 p.m. – Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, who lost re-election to Democratic challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock in Tuesday’s special election runoff, said she is rescinding her objection to the certification of electors.
8:37 p.m. – Scores of Republican representatives and 13 GOP senators had planned to object Wednesday to the electoral votes of perhaps six states that backed Biden. It was unclear whether those objections would continue in light of the day’s violent events.
8:12 p.m. – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke third after lawmakers reconvened, saying that Jan. 6 is a day that “will live forever in infamy.”
8:05 p.m. – Congress reconvened Wednesday night after the Capitol building was cleared and secured; Vice President Mike Pence made opening remarks, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke next.
Pence condemned the violence “in the strongest possible way,” and thanked the U.S. Capitol Police, federal, state, and local law enforcement for their swift efforts.
McConnell addressed the American people, noting the U.S. Senate “will not be intimidated,” or “kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats.”
7:52 p.m. – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to speak on the Senate floor at 8 p.m.
7:44 p.m. – Stephanie Grisham, first lady’s chief of staff and former White House press secretary, resigned Wednesday amid violent protests at the U.S. Capitol.
7:15 p.m. – Vice President Mike Pence has returned to the Senate, his press secretary tweeted:
“Vice President @Mike_Pence has returned to the Senate. He never left the Capitol.
@VP was in regular contact w/ House & Senate leadership, Cap Police, DOJ, & DoD to facilitate efforts to secure the Capitol & reconvene Congress.
And now we will finish the People’s business.”
6:32 p.m. – Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen issued a statement condemning the violence at the Capitol:
“The violence at our Nation’s Capitol Building is an intolerable attack on a fundamental institution of our democracy. From the outset, the Department of Justice has been working in close coordination with the Capitol Police and federal partners from the Interior Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Guard, as well as the Metropolitan Police and other local authorities. Earlier this afternoon, the Department of Justice sent hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service to assist the Capitol Police in addressing this unacceptable situation, and we intend to enforce the laws of our land.”
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen
6:30 p.m. – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the joint session of Congress will proceed tonight at the Capitol once it is cleared for use.
Pelosi said she made the decision Wednesday in consultation with the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the vice president, who will preside.
She noted the day would always be “part of history,” but now it would be “as such a shameful picture of our country was put out into the world.”
Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress’ formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
Trump supporters breached the Capitol building and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress’ tallying of the Electoral College votes. Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true.
5:16 p.m. – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo statement on Capitol violence:
“The storming of the U.S. Capitol today is unacceptable. Lawlessness and rioting — here or around the world — is always unacceptable. I have traveled to many countries and always support the right of every human being to protest peacefully for their beliefs and their causes. But violence, putting at risk the safety of others including those tasked with providing security for all of us, is intolerable both at home and abroad. Let us swiftly bring justice to the criminals who engaged in this rioting. America is better than what we saw today at a place where I served as a member of Congress and saw firsthand democracy at its best.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
6:01 p.m. – Officials tell NewsNation the woman shot inside the U.S. Capitol building has died.
The Metropolitan Police Department said it was taking the lead on the shooting investigation. Police did not immediately provide details about the circumstances of the shooting.
Dozens of supporters of President Donald Trump breached the security perimeter and entered the Capitol as Congress was meeting, expected to vote and affirm Joe Biden’s presidential win. They were seen fighting with officers both inside the building and outside.
Hours later, police had declared the Capitol was secured.
6 p.m. – Curfew goes into effect in DC.
5:36 p.m. – Officials say the U.S. Capitol building is now secure.
5:26 p.m. – The Washington, D.C., police chief says at least five weapons have been recovered and at least 13 people have been arrested so far in pro-Trump protests.
The mostly maskless crowd stormed the Capitol earlier Wednesday as lawmakers were meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. One person was shot; their condition is unknown.
Police Chief Robert Contee called the attack a riot.
As darkness began to set in, law enforcement officials were working their way toward the protesters, using percussion grenades to try to clear the area around the Capitol. Big clouds of tear gas were visible.
Police were in full riot gear. They moved down the West steps, clashing with demonstrators.
Mayor Muriel Bowser earlier declared a 6 p.m. curfew.
5:25 p.m. – NewsNation has obtained several videos from inside and around the U.S. Capitol, showing the chaotic scene inside and outside the building. Watch in the player below:
5:19 p.m. – Sen. Jeff Merkley said that the Electoral College ballots were rescued from the Senate floor.
“If our capable floor staff hadn’t grabbed them, they would have been burned by the mob,” the Democratic Senator from Oregon said on Twitter.
5:05 p.m. – Pro-Trump demonstrators have massed outside statehouses across the country, forcing evacuations in at least two states. In St. Paul, Minnesota, cheers rang out from demonstrators in reaction to the news that supporters of President Donald Trump had stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Hundreds of mostly unmasked people gathered outside capitols on Wednesday with Trump flags and “Stop the Steal” signs. In Georgia and Oklahoma, some demonstrators carried guns.
New Mexico state police evacuated staff from a statehouse building that includes the governor’s and secretary of state’s offices as a precaution shortly after hundreds of flag-waving supporters arrived in a vehicle caravan and on horseback. A spokesperson for the governor´s office says there was no indication of threats at the statehouse.
The staff of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was sent home as several hundred pro-Trump demonstrators rallied outside the Capitol, though the demonstration remained relatively calm. A brief scuffle between pro-Trump demonstrators, who included members of the Proud Boys, and counterprotesters broke out in Columbus, Ohio, but there was no immediate threat to the Capitol.
5 p.m. – The DC police chief says protesters deployed ‘chemical irritants on police’ to gain access to the US Capitol.
Police Chief Robert Contee says officials have declared the scene a riot. One civilian was shot inside the Capitol on Wednesday. Thirteen arrests were made of people from out of the area.
Mayor Muriel Bowser says the behavior of the Trump supporters was “shameful, unpatriotic and above all is unlawful.” She says, “There will be law and order and this behavior will not be tolerated.”
Metropolitan police have been sent to the Capitol, and authorities were coming in from Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey to help out. The National Guard was also deployed, as were Homeland Security investigators and Secret Service.
Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress’ formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden’s win. He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol. He has since tweeted a video telling his supporters to go home.
4:40 p.m. – At least one explosive device has been found near the U.S. Capitol amid a violent occupation of the building by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Law enforcement officials said the device was no longer a threat Wednesday afternoon.
That’s according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.
Thousands of supporters of the president occupied the Capitol complex as lawmakers were beginning to tally the electoral votes that will formalize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Vice President Mike Pence called on protesters to leave the Capitol immediately. President Donald Trump urged supporters to go home.
4:25 – President Donald Trump tweeted a video Wednesday afternoon after President-elect Joe Biden called on him to address his supporters, urging his supporters to go home.
The video was issued more than two hours after protesters began storming the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers convened for an extraordinary joint session to confirm the Electoral College results and President-elect Biden’s victory.
Trump opened his video, saying, “I know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now.”
“I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened where they could take it away from all of us: from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace so go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You’ve seen the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home and go home in peace.”
President Donald Trump via Twitter
Twitter flagged Trump’s tweet, saying “this claim of election fraud is disputed” and disabled replies, retweets or likes “due to a risk of violence.” The video was later removed by Twitter.
4:20 p.m. – Democrat Jon Ossoff is projected as the winner of the second Georgia runoff for U.S. Senate; Democrats effectively gain control of U.S. Senate.
4:05 p.m. – President-elect Joe Biden addressed Americans from Delaware, asking President Donald Trump to go on national television to “fulfill his oath and defend the constitution and demand an end to this siege.”
Biden called the violent protests on the U.S. Capitol “an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people’s business.”
Biden’s condemnation came after violent protesters breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, forcing a delay in the constitutional process to affirm the president-elect’s victory in the November election.
Biden addressed the violent protests as authorities struggled to take control of a chaotic situation at the Capitol that led to the evacuation of lawmakers.
Watch Biden’s full remarks here.
4 p.m. – The Pentagon says about 1,100 D.C. National Guard members are being mobilized to help support law enforcement as violent supporters of President Donald Trump breached the U.S. Capitol.
Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said Wednesday afternoon that defense leaders have been in contact with the city and congressional leadership.
A defense official said all 1,100 of the D.C. Guard were being activated and sent to the city’s armory. The Guard forces will be used at checkpoints and for other similar duties and could also help in the enforcement of the 6 p.m. curfew being implemented tonight in the city.
The officials said the D.C. request for National Guard was not rejected earlier in the day. Instead, according to officials, the Guard members have a very specific mission that does not include putting military in a law enforcement role at the Capitol. As a result, the Guard must be used to backfill law enforcement outside the Capitol complex, freeing up more law enforcement to respond to the Capitol.
Hoffman said the law enforcement response to the violence will be led by the Justice Department.
3:55 p.m. – The top Democrats in Congress are demanding that President Donald Trump order his supporters to leave the Capitol following a chaotic protest aimed at blocking a peaceful transfer of power.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a joint statement on Wednesday after violent protesters stormed the Capitol. They said, “We are calling on President Trump to demand that all protestors leave the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Grounds immediately.”
Trump earlier encouraged his supporters occupying the U.S. Capitol to “remain peaceful,” but he did not call for them to disperse. He held a rally earlier Wednesday in which he repeated his false claims that President-elect Joe Biden had won the election through voter fraud.
3:50 p.m. – The White House says National Guard troops along with other federal protective services are en route to the Capitol to help end a violent occupation by President Donald Trump’s supporters who are seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted that “At President @realDonaldTrump’s direction, the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services.”
She added, “We reiterate President Trump’s call against violence and to remain peaceful.”
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is sending members of the Virginia National Guard, along with 200 Virginia State Troopers.
3:43 p.m. – Vice President Mike Pence tweeted said the “violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now.”
Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 6, 2021
3:38 p.m. – NewsNation’s Brian Entin showed an update of the scene outside of the U.S. Capitol.
I’m on the West side of the Capitol now. Phone service not good. pic.twitter.com/Avakgf0QFK
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) January 6, 2021
3:36 p.m. – The Department of Homeland Security is sending additional federal agents to the U.S. Capitol to help quell violence from supporters of President Donald Trump who are protesting Congress’ formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
A spokesperson told The Associated Press on Wednesday that officers from the Federal Protective Service and U.S. Secret Service agents are being sent to the scene. He says they were requested to assist by U.S. Capitol Police.
3:30 p.m. – NewsNation Washington D.C. Correspondent Joe Khalil describes situation as he shelters-in-place in basement of Capitol.
3:28 p.m. – One person has been shot at the U.S. Capitol as dozens of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building and violently clashed with police.
That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity amid a chaotic situation.
The exact circumstances surrounding the shooting were unclear. The person said the victim had been taken to a hospital. Their condition was not known.
3:20 p.m. – Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol.
Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: U.S. Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)1
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Members of Congress evacuate the House Chamber as protesters attempt to enter during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation’s capital. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: U.S. Capitol Police stand detain protesters outside of the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Law enforcement officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Members of congress run for cover as protesters try to enter the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators said they would reject the Electoral College votes of several states unless Congress appointed a commission to audit the election results. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
3:15 p.m. – Trump encourages supporters occupying US Capitol to ‘remain peaceful,’ but doesn’t call for them to disperse.
I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!
2:51 p.m. – Lawmakers are being evacuated from the U.S. Capitol after protesters breached security and entered the building.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other senators were led out, escorted by staff and police on Wednesday afternoon. Members of the House were also being evacuated. Both chambers had been debating the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.
Protesters walk as U.S. Capitol Police officers watch in a hallway near the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, near the Ohio Clock. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The skirmishes came shortly after President Donald Trump addressed thousands of his supporters, riling up the crowd with his baseless claims of election fraud.
Protesters could be seen marching through the Capitol’s stately Statuary Hall shouting and waving Trump banners and American flags.
Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.
Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
2:48 p.m. – Members of Congress inside House chamber told by police to put on gas masks after tear gas dispersed in Capitol Rotunda.
2:40 p.m. – President Donald Trump tweeted about what was happening.
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!
2:39 p.m. – D.C. Mayor issues citywide curfew beginning at 6 p.m.
Today, I'm ordering a citywide curfew for the District of Columbia from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 6, until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 7. pic.twitter.com/lp6Pt3DcYC
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 6, 2021
2:30 p.m. – Cameras show video of protesters inside the U.S. Capitol. The building is on lockdown.
2:15 p.m. – Senate recesses Electoral College debate after protesters force lockdown of Capitol.
1:46 p.m. – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against his fellow Republicans who were challenging Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, saying it could do great harm to America.
At the start of debate on certifying the Electoral College result, McConnell said: “We cannot simply declare ourselves a national board of election on steroids.” McConnell added, “The voters, courts, states, they’ve all spoken. If we overrule them it would damage our republic forever.”
1:17 p.m. – Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said he did not believe he had the authority to accept or reject electoral votes unilaterally, but welcomed efforts by U.S. lawmakers to raise objections about alleged “voting irregularities.”
Pence, under pressure by defeated President Donald Trump to hold up certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election, told U.S. lawmakers in a letter that he would do his duty to ensure concerns about the election received a “fair and open hearing.”
Trump says Pence has ‘power to act’ in Congress election count despite VP’s ceremonial role
“When disputes concerning a presidential election arise, under Federal Law, it is the people’s representatives who review the evidence and resolve disputes through a democratic process,” said Pence, who is presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify the election results.
1:15 p.m. – Republicans from the House and Senate have objected to the counting of Arizona’s electoral vote, forcing votes in both chambers on Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
The objection was made by Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and was signed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Both are Republicans. The two chambers now have two hours to debate the challenge.
EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Biden won the state by more than 10,000 votes. In all, eight lawsuits challenging Biden’s Arizona win have failed, in part over a lack of evidence.
The state’s Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of an election challenge, because the plaintiff lacked the right to bring the suit in the first place. The woman wasn’t a registered voter when she sued.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has said there were no irregularities with the vote in her state.
1:15 p.m. – President Donald Trump is taking aim at Republican members of Congress who have refused to join him in his effort to contest the results of the November election he lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump on Wednesday told a large crowd of supporters gathered on the Ellipse that they needed to vote these Republicans out of office by putting up challengers in primary elections to push them out.
“If they don’t fight, we have to primary the hell out of the ones that don’t fight,” Trump said, calling the Republicans who aren’t siding with him “weak.”
LIVE: Protests break out in DC as Congress tallies Electoral College votes
Earlier, he named and praised Republicans who have pledged to contest the electoral votes of some states when they come up for approval on Capitol Hill.
His supporters, who braved chilly, windy conditions, chanted “Fight for Trump!”
1:10 p.m. – Congress has begun a joint session to count and confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden.
With supporters of President Donald Trump gathering around the Capitol, more than a dozen Republican senators and more than 100 Republican House members have said they will object to the count from as many as six battleground states. They are echoing Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread fraud.
Biden won the Electoral College 306-232. He is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20.
Their efforts are almost certain to fail as many Republicans have said they will oppose the objections. But the session is expected to last into the night on Wednesday as the House and Senate must consider each objection separately and vote on whether to sustain it.
It comes months after the the Nov. 3 election, two weeks before the inauguration’s traditional peaceful transfer of power and against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the session. He has no power to overturn the results, despite pressure from Trump to do so.
While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Pence supports those Republican lawmakers mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome.
“I hope that our great vice president comes through for us,” Trump said at a rally in Georgia this week. “He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much.”
It’s not the first time lawmakers have challenged results. Democrats did in 2017 and 2005. But the intensity of Trump’s challenge is like nothing in modern times, and an outpouring of current and elected GOP officials warn the showdown is sowing distrust in government and eroding Americans’ faith in the election process.
Under the rules of the joint session, any objection to a state’s electoral tally needs to be submitted in writing by at least one member of the House and one of the Senate to be considered. Each objection will force two hours of deliberations in the House and Senate, ensuring a long day.
House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Arizona is expected to be the first disputed as the state tallies are announced in alphabetical order, and Cruz has said he will join House Republicans in objecting to that state.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who’s among those leading the challenges, has said he will object to the election results from Pennsylvania, almost ensuring a second two-hour debate despite resistance from the state’s Republican senator, Pat Toomey, who said the tally of Biden’s win is accurate.
Democrats have the majority in the House and the Republican-led Senate is divided over the issue. Bipartisan majorities in both chambers are expected to soundly reject the objections.
The group led by Cruz is vowing to object unless Congress agreed to form a commission to investigate the election, but that seems unlikely.
President-elect Biden has kept quiet, not addressing the matter when he campaigned in Georgia Monday for the Senate runoff.
Biden later spoke broadly about Democrats’ “opposition friends” realizing that “power flows from the people.”
“Politicians cannot assert, take or seize power. Power is granted by the American people alone,” he said.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Reporting by AP’s Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick; Kevin Freking contributed from Dalton, Ga., Bill Barrow from Atlanta.
Maryland / 2 hours ago
Washington-DC / 45 mins ago
Virginia / 35 mins ago
West Virginia / 1 hour ago
by Rebecca Burnett / Jan 15, 2021
NORTHERN VA (WDVM) — Compared to other large metro areas, Northern Virginia has the highest rate of so-called “severe housing burden” among families of four earning about $50,000 a year.
The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia estimates a family of four needs an annual income of $94,000 to live comfortably in the region.
LANSING, MICH. (WLNS) -- The Michigan State Police (MSP) has increased both personnel and protective measures ahead of planned demonstrations at the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing on Sunday.
MSP is working with local and county law enforcement, the Michigan National Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).


Home > Projects > National Museum of African American History and Culture
Playbill for Def Poetry Jam on Broadway
One of the time-honored traditions of the theater is the playbill. From local community theaters to Broadway, playbills provide the audience with information about the story being told on stage and the artists who bring it to life. After the show, playbills often become cherished souvenirs. "Playbill," a monthly magazine distributed at major theaters in New York and nationwide, presents details about particular productions along with articles about current happenings in the theater world.
The Museum's collection of playbills, which spans from the nineteenth century to the present, offers insight into the roles African Americans have played in the development of American theater as actors, playwrights, directors, producers, costume designers, choreographers, and more. Help us transcribe this Playbill from Porgy and Bess to discover and share the history of African Americans taking the stage.
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The first quarter of 2018 saw a flurry of declinations of FCPA prosecutions by the DOJ and the SEC, and only one FCPA corporate enforcement resolution by the DOJ and two resolutions by the SEC. This activity—or lack thereof—appears consistent with senior DOJ officials’ statements that, absent corporate misconduct that is “serious or pervasive enough” to warrant an entity-level criminal resolution, the DOJ wants “to avoid imposing penalties that disproportionately punish innocent employees, shareholders, customers, and other stakeholders” and “to reward companies that invest in strong compliance measures.”[1]
Based on publicly available records, FCPA charges were brought against only one individual in the first quarter, and charges were unsealed for two individuals who were charged in August 2017. In addition, two individuals pleaded guilty to FCPA charges.
The U.S. enforcement activity level last quarter contrasted sharply with stepped-up anti-corruption efforts abroad, as foreign jurisdictions continued to implement and enforce anti-corruption laws.
Our thoughts on the most significant developments in anti-corruption and FCPA enforcement and policy during the first quarter are below.
In the first quarter of 2018, the DOJ and the SEC resolved a total of three corporate FCPA enforcement actions, resulting in a modest $3.45 million in combined fines, penalties, disgorgement and pre-judgment interest, of which $2 million was assessed by the DOJ and $1.45 million by the SEC. These resolutions are summarized below.
In contrast, there were a number of declinations disclosed by companies in the last quarter, as at least four U.S. companies (Cobalt International Energy, Exterran, Teradata, Juniper Networks) and three foreign companies (Core Laboratories, Sanofi, Kinross) disclosed that the DOJ and/or the SEC had declined prosecution in previously announced FCPA investigations.[2]
Notably, none of the DOJ declinations appear to be “declinations with disgorgement,” several of which had followed the announcement of the FCPA Pilot Program in 2016.[3] It seems somewhat unlikely that this signals any intentional shift away from utilizing declinations with disgorgement, given that this form of resolution is included in the relatively new DOJ FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy.[4] It more likely reflects that the declinations announced in the most recent quarter related to cases that were reported prior to the Pilot Program and/or involved cases with jurisdictional, evidentiary or statute of limitations concerns, or that otherwise did not warrant a disgorgement condition.
The apparent decline in the number of enforcement actions and the total settlement amounts from recent years, along with the relatively high number of declinations, appears consistent with recent statements by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein suggesting that the DOJ will place less emphasis on corporate prosecutions and greater emphasis on companies’ compliance programs, along with individual prosecutions.
The SEC also has expressed continued interest in rewarding companies for their cooperation, recently endeavoring to provide clearer guidance about when it will grant cooperation credit and what the credit will be.[5] According to Anthony Kelly, Co-Chief of the SEC’s Asset Management Unit, to obtain cooperation credit from the SEC as a general matter, parties should demonstrate conduct that allows the SEC to reach a resolution in a shorter period of time than it otherwise would have been able to do, or that allows a resolution to be reached using fewer resources than otherwise would have been required.
It is also worth noting that both of the SEC’s corporate FCPA resolutions in the first quarter reflect the SEC’s long-standing practice of charging companies under the accounting provisions of the FCPA even if the evidence might not sustain a charge under the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions.
Summary of 2018 Corporate Resolutions
On January 12, 2018, Transport Logistics International, Inc. (“TLI”), a Maryland-based company that provides transportation management services to the nuclear power industry, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ to resolve allegations that it conspired to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions.[6] TLI agreed to pay a $2 million criminal fine.
Beginning in at least 2004 and continuing until at least 2014, TLI conspired to bribe an official at JSC Techsnabexport (“TENEX”), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation. The bribes were intended to help TLI secure business advantages and contracts with TENEX.
The DOJ calculated a fine range of between $28.5 million and $57 million. TLI received a 25-percent reduction off the bottom of the applicable U.S. Sentencing Guidelines fine range for full cooperation, though it did not voluntarily and timely disclose the alleged conduct to the DOJ. However, TLI represented that it was unable to pay a penalty higher than $2 million. An independent analysis conducted by the DOJ’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, with the assistance of a forensic accounting expert, verified the accuracy of TLI’s representations, resulting in a reduction of the fine to that amount.
In approving the terms of the agreement, Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the District of Maryland cautioned that deferred prosecution agreements “should be reserved for companies that have engaged in extraordinary cooperation and have entirely rid themselves of all remnants of the prior criminal activity.”[7] He noted that TLI did not self-report and that there remained board members who were on the board during the period of the fraud. Judge Chuang warned that under the circumstances—where a high percentage of TLI’s business was the same type of business that was secured through fraudulent means, and the agreement required TLI to pay a criminal penalty of less than ten percent of the amount contemplated by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines—there was a risk that the deferred prosecution agreement “will provide insufficient deterrence to companies which otherwise would permit fraud, or fail to prevent fraud, by [their] senior officials.” He nevertheless approved the agreement, finding that the court’s authority to take action other than approval of the agreement was limited.
In January, a TLI co-president was charged with, among other things, multiple counts of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and violations of the FCPA. These charges remain pending. Previously, in 2015, another TLI co-president and the Russian official pleaded guilty to related charges.
Elbit and Plaza
On March 9, 2018, Elbit Imaging Ltd., an Israeli company, and its majority-owned indirect subsidiary, Plaza Centers N.V., consented to a cease-and-desist order with the SEC to resolve allegations that they violated the FCPA’s internal accounting controls and books-and-records provisions.[8] Without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, Elbit agreed to pay a $500,000 civil penalty.
According to the SEC, in 2006 and 2011, at the direction of an unnamed senior executive at Elbit, Plaza engaged two off-shore, third-party consultants to assist in obtaining approval from the Romanian government to participate in a real estate development project in Romania. In connection with this real estate project, the SEC alleged that, between 2007 and 2012, Plaza paid the consultants approximately $14 million. The SEC alleged that Plaza did not conduct any due diligence on either consultant and that there was no evidence that the consultants provided services relating to the transactions. The SEC highlighted the consultants’ failure to attend any meetings and inability to provide any evidence of their consulting work.
The SEC also alleged that in 2011, in connection with the sale of a portfolio of 47 real estate assets in the United States, Elbit and Plaza—at the direction of the same Elbit executive—retained a third-party agent, again without conducting any due diligence, and paid that agent approximately $13 million in commissions after obtaining $1.428 billion from the portfolio sale.
On March 26, 2018, Kinross Gold Corporation, a dual-listed senior Canadian gold mining company, consented to a cease-and-desist order with the SEC to resolve allegations that it violated the FCPA’s books-and-records and internal accounting controls provisions.[9] Without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, Kinross agreed to pay a civil penalty of $950,000 and to report to the SEC for one year on its remediation and implementation of compliance measures.
According to the SEC, Kinross acquired two West African subsidiaries in 2010, understanding that the subsidiaries lacked anti-corruption compliance programs and internal accounting controls. It allegedly took Kinross almost three years to implement adequate controls, and, after eventually implementing such controls, Kinross failed to maintain them. Among other things, Kinross allegedly awarded a lucrative contract to a company preferred by Mauritanian government officials in contravention of Kinross’s procedures, contracted with a politically-connected consultant without conducting the required due diligence, and paid vendors and consultants without ensuring the payments were consistent with policies prohibiting improper payments.
Kinross disclosed that the DOJ closed its investigation into this same conduct in November 2017.[10]
DOJ Compliance Developments
Under the DOJ’s FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy, when a company voluntarily self-discloses misconduct, fully cooperates, and timely and appropriately remediates, there will be a presumption that the company will receive a declination unless there are aggravating circumstances.[11] For a company to receive full remediation credit, it must appropriately retain business records, which includes prohibiting the improper destruction of those records and “prohibiting employees from using software that generates but does not appropriately retain business records or communications.”
David Johnson, Assistant Chief in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, recently indicated that the DOJ is focusing on companies’ record retention for instant messaging services—such as WhatsApp and WeChat—to which companies might not have access.[12] He urged companies to address record retention for instant messaging services now rather than waiting until an issue arises, at which point the company might need to convince the DOJ, the SEC, and possibly foreign authorities that it is not unreasonable that such records were not retained. Johnson also stated that companies should consider whether employees should be permitted to use messaging services at all and, if so, under what circumstances and whether prophylactic measures are necessary.
In light of the DOJ’s focus, companies may want to consider adopting explicit policies that set forth acceptable uses of these messaging services for business purposes, if any, and otherwise prohibit employees from using such instant messaging services for work purposes. Such policies can be incorporated into broader information technology and data use policies and included in employee trainings.
SEC Whistleblower Program Developments
In Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers, the Supreme Court unanimously held that individuals who report alleged misconduct internally, but not to the SEC, are not covered by the anti-retaliation provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78u-6(h).[13] This reporting requirement distinguishes the Dodd-Frank Act from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which provides certain protections for individuals who report alleged securities violations internally.
Prior to this decision, whistleblowers overwhelmingly reported their concerns internally before reporting them to the SEC. According to the SEC’s 2017 Annual Report to Congress, approximately 83 percent of whistleblowers who received monetary awards under Dodd-Frank raised their concerns internally before reporting to the SEC. Employees who only report internally now may still seek relief under the anti-retaliation provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley, but they must meet the shorter statute of limitations and exhaust administrative remedies before seeking relief in federal court.
Digital Realty may thus discourage employee use of internal reporting systems and encourage immediate reporting to the SEC, including with respect to FCPA-related issues. By discouraging employees from utilizing internal reporting systems, Digital Realty may also weaken the role of corporate compliance programs, which generally encourage internal reporting as an early warning system to protect against fraud and other securities violations.
The decision does not appear to affect whistleblowers’ abilities to collect awards under the SEC’s Whistleblower Program.
Digital Realty serves as a reminder that, irrespective of the current level of white collar enforcement activity, companies must remain vigilant on compliance matters.
Individual Prosecutions
Based on publicly available records, FCPA charges were brought against only one individual in the first quarter, the TLI co-president charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and violations of the FCPA, as described above.
Charges also were unsealed for two individuals who were charged in August 2017.[14] Both individuals, former Venezuelan officials, were charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA in connection with allegations that they conspired to solicit bribes from vendors in order to secure business with Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PdVSA”), the Venezuelan state-owned energy company.
In addition, two individuals pleaded guilty to FCPA charges brought in 2011 and 2016, respectively.[15]
Foreign Jurisdictions’ Anti-Corruption Enforcement Activity
Significant activity occurred abroad this quarter, as numerous foreign jurisdictions investigated and prosecuted perceived corruption.
Investigations and Prosecutions of Officials
In the first quarter of 2018, authorities in many countries throughout the world announced investigations and prosecutions of allegedly corrupt officials, and current and former government officials were convicted and sentenced in connection with corruption charges. Noteworthy examples are provided below.
In South Korea, following an almost year-long trial, in April former President Geun-hye was convicted of multiple criminal charges, including bribery, for conspiring with her confidante, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure numerous business groups to donate approximately $70 million to two non-profit organizations controlled by Choi, in exchange for various favors.[16] President Park was sentenced to 24 years in prison and a $17 million fine was imposed. Choi, who was convicted of receiving bribes from South Korean companies, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Shin Dong-bin, chairman of the Lotte Group, who was convicted on related corruption charges, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.[17]
Separately, Lee Myung-bak, the country’s president from 2008 to 2013, was arrested for bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion.[18] Lee allegedly received more than $10 million in bribes from various sources and embezzled $32 million. Lee also is accused of using his presidential power to help settle a legal case. In addition, prosecutors raided the homes and offices of two of Lee’s aides, who are suspected of illegally raising campaign funds from the private sector in connection with the 2008 presidential election in which Lee was elected.
Jay Y. Lee, the de facto head of Samsung, was released from prison, after serving approximately one year, when a South Korean appellate court suspended his sentence and reduced it to two-and-a-half years.[19] Lee was convicted of allegedly authorizing a payment to Choi to obtain government support for a merger between Samsung affiliates. Prosecutors are appealing to the country’s highest court the decision to release Lee early.
In China, the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s anti-corruption watchdog, announced that Lu Wei, China’s former Internet regulator, would be prosecuted for bribery.[20] The Party did not provide further information. Chinese prosecutors also charged Sun Zhengcai, former Chongqing Party Secretary and member of the Politburo, with bribery for accepting significant amounts of money and property during the span of his career.
Following a year-long investigation, in February, Israeli police recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu face prosecution in two corruption cases: one involving gifts for favors and another involving backroom dealings to ensure more favorable media coverage.[21] In March, Netanyahu was questioned in a third corruption case, involving allegations that, while serving as communications minister, he provided regulatory and financial benefits to a telecommunications tycoon in exchange for positive media coverage.
In Saudi Arabia, in the wake of the purported corruption purge instigated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017, witnesses reported being subjected to coercion and physical abuse.[22] Allegedly, at least 17 detainees were hospitalized and one later died in custody. The Saudi government has denied the allegations of abuse. Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who is among the Kingdom’s most influential and wealthiest businessmen, was released after more than 80 days in detention.[23] It is widely presumed that he paid an immense sum to the government to secure his release, and that others who have been released did the same.
French authorities are investigating former President Nicolas Sarkozy in connection with allegations that his 2007 election campaign received illegal financing from Muammar Gaddafi.[24]
In Greece, eight former ministers and two former prime ministers were named in an investigation into pharmaceutical company Novartis A.G. regarding alleged payments to public officials to increase subscriptions to their products at public hospitals.[25]
Politicians in Latin America continue to be implicated in the fallout from the investigations into alleged corruption in the construction and oil industries.
In Brazil, an appellate court upheld the conviction of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for corruption and money laundering and extended his sentence from 10 to 12 years in prison.[26] Brazil’s Supreme Court subsequently ruled that he must begin serving his sentence while appealing his conviction.[27] On April 7, Lula surrendered to authorities, likely ending his bid for a third term as president.
On March 21, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Peru’s president, announced his resignation after being implicated in the ongoing investigation into Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht S.A.[28] He denies wrongdoing.
In Guatemala, former President Alvaro Colom and nine former members of his cabinet (including Juan Alberto Fuentes Knight, a former Guatemalan finance minister and chairman of Oxfam International) were arrested in an ongoing corruption investigation.[29] In addition, former Guatemalan presidential candidate Manuel Baldizon, who is wanted in Guatemala on bribery and money laundering charges relating to the Odebrecht investigation, sought asylum in the United States after he was arrested while trying to enter the country.[30]
Corporate Enforcement Developments
The first quarter of 2018 also saw developments in foreign jurisdictions’ corporate anti-corruption enforcement.
For example, Odebrecht reached an agreement with the Guatemala Attorney General’s Office to pay $17.9 million to compensate for bribes that company executives paid a government official in 2012 in exchange for a $300 million highway contract.[31] The government official allegedly was paid $17.9 million, the same amount Odebrecht will pay as compensation.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, an Israeli pharmaceutical company, agreed to pay a fine to Israeli authorities of approximately $22 million.[32] Teva admitted to making corrupt payments to public employees in Russia and Ukraine and improper payments in Mexico that generated more than $200 million in profits. In 2016, Teva reached settlements with U.S. authorities in connection with the same misconduct, agreeing to pay a $283 million criminal penalty to the DOJ and $236 million in disgorgement to the SEC.
In February, French authorities entered into the country’s first deferred prosecution agreements relating to corruption charges. These deferred prosecution agreements were with two companies (Kaeffer Wanner and Set Environnement), which had been alleged to have engaged in “passive” corruption for allegedly paying bribes. Compliance monitoring by the French Anticorruption Agency was imposed on both companies, they were required to disgorge ill-gotten profits, and one was required to pay an additional penalty.
In addition, in March, France’s Supreme Court held that double jeopardy under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights did not prevent authorities from prosecuting a French company that entered into a plea agreement on related charges in the United States. The court found that the relevant provision of the treaty did not apply to investigations and convictions by foreign sovereigns.
In Argentina and Peru, new laws came into force that establish criminal liability for foreign and domestic companies. Law 27.401, which Argentina enacted in December 2017 and which came into effect in March 2018, imposes strict liability for various offenses, including active domestic bribery, transnational bribery, and participating in the offense of illicit enrichment of public officials, whether committed directly or indirectly.[33] The law also introduces deferred and non-prosecution agreements, which may be granted to companies that cooperate with the prosecuting authorities. Peru’s new law, effective January 1, imposes independent criminal liability on legal persons for local and foreign bribery, with violations punishable by fine, debarment from government contracting, and dissolution.[34] Under the new law, corporate entities may face criminal liability for the illegal conduct of their agents or employees, provided those individuals are acting within the scope of their agency or employment and the illegal conduct is intended to provide a benefit to the corporate entity.
In March, Singapore passed legislation introducing a legal mechanism akin to U.S. deferred prosecution agreements.[35] The agreements are available to corporations accused of corruption, money laundering, or receipt of stolen property, and are intended to encourage companies voluntarily to disclose potential violations and to cooperate with authorities in their investigations.
In the first quarter, the World Bank Group imposed 94 debarments. The World Bank Group continued to debar considerably more individuals and entities than did the other multilateral development banks. The Inter-American Development Bank imposed 21 debarments, the Asian Development Bank imposed two, and neither the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development nor the African Development Bank imposed any. Only 12 of the debarments by the World Bank Group and none of the debarments by the other MDBs were based, in part or in whole, on corrupt practices.
While the enforcement activity of the DOJ and the SEC in the first quarter of 2018 may substantiate senior Trump administration officials’ statements that they intend to move away from corporate prosecutions so as not to unfairly penalize innocent employees, stakeholders, and customers, the data sample is too small as of now to reach that conclusion with certainty.
We will watch these developments with interest and look forward to providing you with further updates.
[1] Rod J. Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, Dep’t of Just., Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein Delivers Remarks at the 32nd Annual ABA National Institute on White Collar Crime (Mar. 2, 2018), https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/deputy-attorney-general-rosenstein-delivers-remarks-32nd-annual-aba-national-institute.
[2] Three companies announced declinations by the DOJ (Juniper Networks, Sanofi, Kinross), two companies announced declinations by the SEC (Cobalt International Energy, Core Laboratories), and two companies announced declinations by both the DOJ and the SEC (Exterran, Teradata).
[3] Since the start of the FCPA Pilot Program, the DOJ has announced seven declinations with disgorgement, meaning that the company was required to disgorge ill-gotten gains to the DOJ or was credited for disgorging ill-gotten gains to the SEC as part of parallel settlements. See Client Memorandum, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, FCPA Enforcement and Anti-Corruption Developments: 2017 Year in Review (Jan. 19, 2018), https://www.paulweiss.com/practices/litigation/anti-corruption-fcpa/publications/fcpa-enforcement-and-anti-corruption-developments-2017-year-in-review?id=25839. The DOJ’s most recent public declination letters were issued in June 2017, to Linde Group and CDM Smith.
[4] See U.S. Attorneys’ Manual § 9-47.120.
[5] See Client Memorandum, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Leaders of SEC Enforcement Division Discuss Priorities and Recent Developments (Feb. 28, 2018), https://www.paulweiss.com/practices/litigation/securities-litigation/publications/leaders-of-sec-enforcement-division-discuss-priorities-and-recent-developments?id=26034.
[6] See Deferred Prosecution Agreement, U.S. v. Transp. Logistics Int’l, Inc., No. TDC-18-0011 (D. Md. Mar. 12, 2018), https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1043221/download.
[7] Order at 2, U.S. v. Transp. Logistics Int’l, Inc., No. TDC-18-0011 (D. Md. Apr. 2, 2018).
[8] See In re Elbit Imaging Ltd., Exchange Act Release No. 82849 (Mar. 9, 2018), https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2018/34-82849.pdf; see also Client Memorandum, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Elbit Imaging Settles with SEC in First FCPA Resolution of 2018 (Mar. 15, 2018), https://www.paulweiss.com/practices/litigation/anti-corruption-fcpa/publications/elbit-imaging-settles-with-sec-in-first-fcpa-resolution-of-2018?id=26116#_ftnref1.
[9] See In re Kinross Gold Corp., Exchange Act Release No. 82946 (Mar. 26, 2018), https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2018/34-82946.pdf.
[10] See News Release, Kinross Gold Corp., Kinross Announces End of Regulatory Investigation of West Africa Operations (Mar. 26, 2018), http://www.kinross.com/news-and-investors/news-releases/press-release-details/2018/Kinross-announces-end-of-regulatoryinvestigation-of-West-Africa-operations/default.aspx.
[11] See U.S. Attorneys’ Manual § 9-47.120(1), (3); see also Client Memorandum, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, DOJ Issues New FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (Nov. 30, 2017), https://www.paulweiss.com/practices/litigation/anti-corruption-fcpa/publications/doj-issues-new-fcpa-corporate-enforcement-policy?id=25619.
[12] See Adam Dobrik, FCPA Prosecutor Urges Companies to Rethink Messaging Services, Glob. Investigations Rev. (Mar. 8, 2018), https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/article/jac/1166454/fcpa-prosecutor-urges-companies-to-rethink-messaging-services.
[13] See Digital Realty Tr., Inc. v. Somers, 138 S. Ct. 767 (2018); see also Client Memorandum, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, U.S. Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Whistleblower Anti-Retaliation Protections (Feb. 22, 2018), https://www.paulweiss.com/practices/litigation/white-collar-regulatory-defense/publications/us-supreme-court-narrows-scope-of-whistleblower-anti-retaliation-protections?id=26011.
[14] See Press Release, Dep’t of Just., Five Former Venezuelan Government Officials Charged in Money Laundering Scheme Involving Foreign Bribery (Feb. 12, 2018), https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/five-former-venezuelan-government-officials-charged-money-laundering-scheme-involving-forei-0.
[15] See Press Release, Dep’t of Just., Former Siemens Executive Pleads Guilty To Role in $100 Million Foreign Bribery Scheme (Mar. 15, 2018), https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-siemens-executive-pleads-guilty-role-100-million-foreign-bribery-scheme; Press Release, Dep’t of Just., New Jersey Real Estate Broker Pleads Guilty to Role in Foreign Bribery Scheme Involving $800 Million International Real Estate Deal (Jan. 5, 2018), https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-jersey-real-estate-broker-pleads-guilty-role-foreign-bribery-scheme-involving-800-million.
[16] See Choe Sang-Hun, Park Heun-hye, South Korea’s Ousted President, Gets 24 Years in Prison, N.Y. Times (Apr. 6, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2Heh68v.
[17] See Joyce Lee, Lotte Chief and Ex-President’s Friend Jailed in South Korea Scandal, Reuters (Feb. 13, 2018), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-politics/lotte-chief-and-ex-presidents-friend-jailed-in-south-korea-scandal-idUSKBN1FX0P2.
[18] See Choe Sang-Hun, In South Korea, Another Former President Lands in Jail, N.Y. Times (Mar. 22, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2G4IdSl.
[19] See Choe Sang-Hun & Raymond Zhong, Samsung Heir Freed, to Dismay of South Korea’s Anti-Corruption Campaigners, N.Y. Times (Feb. 5, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2GOzfJA.
[20] See James T. Areddy, Former China Internet Regulator Accused of Corruption, Wall St. J. (Feb. 13, 2018), https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-china-internet-regulator-accused-of-corruption-1518528434.
[21] See Rory Jones, Israeli Police Recommend Charging Netanyahu With Bribery, Fraud, Wall St. J. (Feb. 14, 2018), https://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-police-recommend-charging-netanyahu-for-bribery-fraud-1518550185; Isabel Kershner, Benjamin Netanyahu is Questioned in 3rd Corruption Case in Israel, N.Y. Times (Mar. 2, 2018), https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/world/middleeast/israel-benjamin-netanyahu-corruption.html.
[22] See Ben Hubbard et al., Saudis Said to Use Coercion and Abuse to Seize Billions, N.Y. Times (Mar. 11, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2tBExpg.
[23] See Ben Hubbard, Billionaire Saudi Prince, Alwaleed bin Talal, Is Freed From Detention, N.Y. Times (Jan. 27, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2FktUIi.
[24] See Aurelien Breeden, Nicolas Sarkozy, Ex-President of France, Faces Corruption Charges Over Libyan Cash, N.Y. Times (Mar. 21, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2FTqQI6.
[25] See Niki Kitsantonis, Greece Approves Bribery Investigation Involving Political Elite, N.Y. Times (Feb. 22, 2018), https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/22/world/europe/greece-bribery-novartis-investigation.html.
[26] See Ernesto Londoño, Upending Brazil’s Presidential Race, Court Upholds Ex-Leader’s Conviction, N.Y. Times (Jan. 24, 2018), https://nyti.ms/2FaPA9A.
[27] See Manuela Andreoni et al., Ex-President ‘Lula’ of Brazil Surrenders to Serve 12-Year Jail Term, N.Y. Times (Apr. 7, 2018), https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/world/americas/brazil-lula-surrenders-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-.html.
[28] See Simeon Tegel, The Corruption Scandal That’s Ensnared Not One, But Three Peruvian Presidents, Wash. Post (Mar. 22, 2018), https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/the-corruption-scandal-thats-ensnared-not-one-but-three-peruvian-presidents/2018/03/22/7d15a75a-2c50-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a91a542e454c.
[29] See Elisabeth Malkin, Guatemala Arrests Ex-President and His Finance Minister in Corruption Case, N.Y. Times (Feb. 13, 2018), https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/world/americas/guatemala-corruption-colom-oxfam.html.
[30] See Sofia Menchu, Guatemala Businessman, Wanted on Graft Charges, Seeks U.S. Asylum, Reuters (Jan. 21, 2018), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-corruption/guatemala-businessman-wanted-on-graft-charges-seeks-u-s-asylum-idUSKBN1FA0T2.
[31] See Sofia Menchu, Guatemala Says Odebrecht Agrees to Pay $17.9 Million Over Bribes, Reuters (Jan. 24, 2018), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-corruption/guatemala-says-odebrecht-agrees-to-pay-17-9-million-over-bribes-idUSKBN1FE09N.
[32] See Chen Ma’anit, Teva Settles Graft Case with Israeli Authorities, Globes (Jan. 15, 2018), http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-teva-settles-graft-case-with-israeli-authorities-1001219547; see also Joel Schectman & Natalie Grover, Teva to Pay U.S. Government $519 Million Over Foreign Bribery Charges, Reuters (Dec. 22, 2016), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teva-pharm-ind-probe/teva-to-pay-u-s-government-519-million-over-foreign-bribery-charges-idUSKBN14B1QL.
[33] See Caroline Stauffer & Maximilian Heath, Argentina Congress Passes Law to Fight Corporate Corruption, Reuters (Nov. 8, 2017), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-argentina-corruption/argentina-congress-passes-law-to-fight-corporate-corruption-idUSKBN1D83AX; Jaclyn Jaeger, Argentina Passes Tough New Anti-Corruption Law, Compliance Week (Jan. 30, 2018), https://www.complianceweek.com/news/news-article/argentina-passes-tough-new-anti-corruption-law#.WtA5bnrwZjU.
[34] See Waithera Junghae, New Criminal Liability Law Gives Peru’s Prosecutors the Tools to Tackle Corruption, Glob. Investigations Rev. (Jan. 15, 2018), https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/article/1152744/new-criminal-liability-law-gives-perus-prosecutors-the-tools-to-tackle-corruption; Teresa Tovar, Anti-Corruption in Peru, Glob. Compliance News, https://globalcompliancenews.com/anti-corruption/anti-corruption-in-peru/.
[35] See Tan Tam Mei, Deferred Prosecution Agreements Proposed to Take Companies to Task, Strait Times (Jan. 15, 2018), http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/deferred-prosecution-agreements-proposed-to-take-companies-to-task-shanmugam; Selina Lum, Amnesty for Firms: Ensuring Transparency, Strait Times (Mar. 20, 2018), http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/amnesty-for-firms-ensuring-transparency.


Biography of Emperor Trajan
Trajan's Forum
Author: Joseph Kurschner (editor)
Biographies >> Ancient Rome
Occupation: Emperor of Rome
Born: September 18, 53 AD in Italica, Hispania
Died: August 8, 117 AD in Selinus, Cilicia
Reign: January 28, 98 AD to August 8, 117 AD
Best known for: Considered one of Rome's greatest emperors
Trajan is considered one of the greatest emperors in the history of Rome. He ruled for nineteen years from 98 AD to 117 AD. He conquered many lands and grew the Roman Empire to its largest expanse in history. His rule was a time of great prosperity for Rome.
Where did Trajan grow up?
Trajan was born in the Roman province of Hispania (the modern-day country of Spain). His father was a leading Roman politician and general. His mother came from a prominent Roman family. Although we don't know a lot about Trajan's childhood, he likely moved around the Roman Empire while growing up. He spent time in Spain as well as the city of Rome.
Trajan followed his father and joined the Roman army. He was a gifted leader and soon rose up the ranks. He served with distinction in various parts of the Roman Empire including Syria. Trajan entered politics and was elected praetor and then consul. He also became a general over a full Roman legion.
Becoming Emperor
While Trajan was serving as governor of Upper Germany, he received a letter from Emperor Nerva. He was being adopted as Nerva's heir and would be next in line for the throne. It was common in Rome for an emperor who didn't have any sons to adopt an adult son as heir. Nerva picked Trajan because he was popular with the army.
In 98 AD, Nerva died and Trajan became emperor. Trajan didn't immediately return to Rome, but visited the Roman legions to make sure he had the support of the army. He finally returned to Rome a year later and was received by the people and the senate as the new emperor.
Because he had spent much of his life in the army, Trajan was often called a "soldier-emperor". He enjoyed battle and wanted to expand the Roman Empire. His first conquest was the kingdom of Dacia (modern-day Romania). Dacia became an important Roman province bringing wealth to Rome through its gold mines. His second major conquest was the kingdom of Parthia in Asia. He added two new Roman provinces in Asia including Armenia and Mesopotamia.
Trajan also had many public works built throughout the Roman Empire. These works included bridges, aqueducts, baths, roads, public buildings, and canals. He also had a new forum built called Trajan's Forum in Rome.
Trajan fell ill while campaigning in the Middle East. He died in Cilicia on his return to Rome. He was succeeded by his adopted son Hadrian.
Trajan was considered one of the best emperors by the Roman Senate. After his death they would honor new emperors with the saying "be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan."
Interesting Facts About Roman Emperor Trajan
He was the thirteenth Roman Emperor and the second of the Five Good Emperors.
His birth name was Marcus Ulpius Traianus.
Trajan's Bridge over the Danube River was the longest arch bridge in the world for over 1000 years.
Trajan helped the poor through a welfare program called the Alimenta.
Trajan's column still stands in modern-day Rome. Trajan had it built to commemorate his victory over Dacia.


Is Liga MX Becoming More Attractive to Players in Europe?
By Thomas Harrison
By general consensus, Liga MX is a growing league. Perhaps not as fast as it could, due to issues surrounding marketing and the league’s organisation, but most seem to think that Mexico’s top flight is getting bigger.
This is just a theory though, and this article will put that theory to the test. The method of testing chosen is to look at what players the league can attract, and where the players that join the league are being attracted from.
For most footballers outside of Europe, Europe is seen as the career goal, the place where they want to ‘make it’.
Therefore, if footballers outside of Europe are easily attracted there, bringing them away from Europe would logically be a large challenge. This challenge should decrease depending on the size of the league. If Liga MX is a growing league, it should see an increase in players joining from Europe.
The graphic below shows the results of a 10-year study of transfers from Europe to Liga MX. Note that this doesn’t refer to European players, rather players that play in European leagues. The majority are of South American descent.
The graphic shows that, with the exception of outliers in 2008-09 and 2012-13, the number of players moving from Europe to Liga MX remained extremely stable between the 2007-08 and 2014-15 seasons. 6 of the 8 seasons between 2007-08 and 2014-15 saw 10 or 11 players moving to Liga MX from clubs based in Europe.
Then, a major change was found. The number jumped from 11 to 20 between 2014-15 and 2015-16, and has remained high this season, with 22 footballers crossing the Atlantic to Mexico.
A growing league?
If the number of European to Liga MX transfers is a good indicator of the strength of Mexico’s top flight, it would appear that the division made a large step-up in 2015. Interestingly, this was the same year that saw Liga MX’s biggest star, André-Pierre Gignac, joined Tigres. The perceived step-up in size appears to have been sustained this season, and even built upon, with 22 players moving to Mexico from Europe.
However, even though the past data does suggest major growth, this increase has only been seen over 2 seasons, a short period of time. These 2 seasons may just be outliers, caused by factors other than a growth in the size and reputation of Liga MX.
10/8?
The controversial 10/8 rule, which appears to have contributed to falling minutes for young Mexicans, may be thought of as a reason behind the increase in players moving to Mexico from Europe.
The fact that the major increase took place during the 2015-16 season, one season before the implementation of 10/8, suggests the new foreign player rule hasn’t had much of an impact on transfers from Europe.
However, the 2015-16 season may have been a major outlier, and in fact, the large increase during the 2016-17 season could be a result of the 10/8 rule coming into force. If this were true, it would reduce the suggestion that the study is proof of Liga MX growing. Instead, it would suggest that previous stricter foreign player rules were holding back more Europe to Mexico moves.
Seeing where this trend goes over the next few seasons will be fascinating to follow. Whether or not the significant increase observed during the 2015-16 season continues, as it has done this season, will give a major indication of how the size and reputation of Liga MX is changing.
With a fair amount of money and growing coverage of the league, for example, Univision’s new English-language facebook stream, the perception is that Liga MX is a growing league. The major recent increase in European-based players joining Liga MX appears to back up this belief, and the destination of this trend in the long-term will be an important method of determining how the size and reputation of Liga MX is developing.
Related Items:Research
Has the 10/8 Rule Impacted Opportunities for Young Mexicans?: A 10 Season Study
International Call-ups: Comparing Liga MX to Other Leagues in the Americas