
Two tech executives face trial under a bribery law Trump has put on hold
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. President Trump has paused new investigations into foreign bribery after criticizing the law against it, but two former officials of a New Jersey professional services company are about to go on trial under the statute anyway. An executive order in early February put a halt to initiating any investigations or enforcement actions under the U.S.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and ordered a review of the law’s guidelines and policies by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Nonetheless, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Newark, N.J., in the trial of Gordon Coburn and Steven Schwartz, former executives at Cognizant Technology Solutions. Coburn, Cognizant’s former president, and Schwartz, its former chief legal officer, were charged in 2019 over their alleged involvement in paying bribes in India, where the company has a large presence.
Both men have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said last month they had reviewed the case in light of the order, and would be moving forward. Many observers have been puzzled by the administration’s move away from a law that has been among the most important tools the U.S.
government has to police corporate behavior, issuing fines that have reached into the billions of dollars. The decision to go ahead with the trial could add to the confusion on where the FCPA stands. “If the administration is pausing FCPA enforcement until there is DOJ guidance, then why is this case continuing?" said Sara Kropf, a defense attorney who represents individuals and companies accused of white-collar crimes.
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