Corruption Is a National Security Threat. Fight It With the CROOK Act.

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Michael Carpenter
@mikercarpenter
Fantastic op-ed from @SenatorWicker and @SenatorCardin on the CROOK Act, which targets kleptocracy at the source and greatly enhances our foreign policy toolkit to fight corruption. Great bipartisan effort.

Corruption Is a National Security Threat. Fight It With the CROOK Act.
A surcharge on entities liable under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could advance good governance abroad and help create a more stable world.
justsecurity.org
6:59 AM · Mar 23, 2021

https://www.justsecurity.org/75468/corruption-is-a-national-security-threat-the-crook-act-is-a-smart-way-to-fight-it/

Not long ago, America’s greatest adversaries were bound together by communist ideology. Today, they most often are defined by political corruption—authoritarian leaders using the levers of government to enrich themselves and ward off political opponents. Corrupt leaders cling to power through patronage networks and exploit rule-of-law jurisdictions, like the United States, to conceal and protect their stolen assets. These leaders are also accustomed to using strategic corruption as a tool of foreign policy.

Corruption has its most perverse effects on the people who are forced to live under it. Corruption undermines democracy, hollows out the rule of law, and prevents the efficient and fair delivery of government services, as evidenced in the scandals affecting certain pandemic response efforts. Corruption also fuels the rise of authoritarian opportunists who seek to exploit social divisions, restrict freedom, and use public office for personal gain.

Corruption also poses a wider threat to American democracy and prosperity, and to the prosperity of our allies. Almost every major transnational threat—such as human trafficking, black markets, and terrorism—is inextricably linked to corruption.

Slowly but surely, the fight against corruption is gaining momentum worldwide. In Russia, corruption exposed by activist Alexei Navalny has sparked mass protests against a political elite that systematically steals from them. In the past three years alone, outrage against corruption has fueled protests in 32 countries.

Despite these encouraging signs, opportunities to root out corruption remain rare—and when they arise, the window for action closes quickly. To have maximum impact in this fight, the United States needs to be ready to assist anti-corruption reformers on short notice.

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