We are punishing Ericsson, a Swedish international, for bribes and corruption committed overseas in other countries by non USA citizens? How moral and legal is that?
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Yes, this is disingenuous.
Telephone companies forever have been forced to make payments to foreign governments via the so-called "Settlement Agreements" for ability to terminate phone calls to their citizens.
I guess Ericsson paid the wrong set of crooks.
Ericsson is listed on the NASDAQ so has to play by US rules. Don’t like it don’t list.
I don’t believe all that fraud would have skipped the Obama/Hillary reign and reading the body of the DOJ document, I see think I see possible areas where Americans were involved. An American can work for a foreign country or for a 3rd party subsidiary. The company sounds like a money laundering kick back scheme and for many many years, that’s how corrupt US officials got money from foreign countries. Note the years covered in the DOJ document - suddenly this activity stopped on Trump’s watch.
I believe that our Gov has a case against Ericsson that is in progress and or classified based on this excerpt:
The case is being investigated by IRS-CI. Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Gentin and Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Abramowicz of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
SNIP
As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Ericsson has agreed to continue to cooperate with the department in any ongoing investigations and prosecutions relating to the conduct, including of individuals; to enhance its compliance program; and to retain an independent compliance monitor for three years.