In this episode of Integrity Insights, we speak with Casey Michel, investigative journalist and Head of the Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation in New York City. Casey is the author of American Kleptocracy and Foreign Agents, two seminal books on the mechanisms of global illicit finance and foreign influence operations.

Our discussion focuses on the United States’ recent retreat from its longstanding leadership in global anti-corruption efforts. Casey explains how key legislative tools, such as the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), are no longer being meaningfully enforced—despite being landmark steps in combating financial secrecy and foreign bribery just a few years ago.

We explore:

• Why the U.S. became the world’s biggest hub for illicit finance.
• How lobbying efforts and state-level interests undermined the CTA.
• The implications of the Department of Justice’s recent decision to narrow FCPA enforcement to matters of "U.S. strategic interest".
• Concerns that enforcement tools are being politicised, potentially weaponised against foreign or domestic political opponents.
• How these rollbacks have severely damaged U.S. credibility and leadership in global anti-corruption efforts.

Casey also places this regression in historical context, suggesting we may be in a modern “Gilded Age” but offers hope by pointing to past cycles of reform following periods of entrenched corruption.

Finally, we ask: can anyone step into the void left by the U.S.? While no single actor currently matches the scope of American enforcement powers, Casey sees signs of renewed leadership from Europe—particularly in the UK, France, and Switzerland—and stresses the need for greater transnational coordination going forward.

Listen to this episode for a deep dive into the shifting landscape of anti-corruption enforcement and what it means for democracies around the world.

Connect with Us:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/integrity-insights/?viewAsMember=true
• Berlin Risk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/berlinrisk/?viewAsMember=true
• Website: https://berlinrisk.com/