Leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, the bipartisan, bicameral body overseeing U.S. commitments on corruption, human rights, and security across Europe and Eurasia, have sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for robust enforcement of the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA). The letter is signed by more than a dozen Members of Congress, including the Commission’s chairs and ranking members.
The Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), enacted on December 22, 2023, as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, expands U.S. anti-corruption authorities by criminalizing the solicitation or acceptance of bribes by foreign officials from U.S. individuals or companies. Designed to complement the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FEPA focuses on the “demand side” of bribery and authorizes the Department of Justice to prosecute foreign officials, representing a significant shift in international anti-corruption enforcement.
After a campaign led by Transparency International U.S., FEPA passed with strong bipartisan support and backing from a politically diverse coalition of organizations. The law closes a long-standing gap in U.S. anticorruption law by making it a crime for foreign officials to demand bribes from Americans, U.S. companies, and any company listed on a U.S. stock exchange.
The letter was signed by:
Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09), Senator Bill Cassidy (LA), Senator John Kennedy (LA), Senator Katie Britt (AL), Senator Ruben Gallego (AZ), Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Representative Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Representative Jake Ellzey (TX-6).
