U.S. Reward Programs Aid International Fight Against Corruption
Whistleblower protection is an issue that is being debated around the world. While some governments are still in the process of creating laws that would provide protection for persons coming forward with information about corruption, others have enacted whistleblower protection laws, but implementation is lacking.
Recent articles regarding the state of whistleblowing internationally are listed below:
Luxembourg: ‘I Acted From Conviction:’ PWC Whistleblower Speaks Out
New Zealand: Whistleblowing takes nerves of steel
Australia: Business whistleblowers ‘deserve protection’
Malta: Whistleblowers still unprotected
While whistleblower protection may seem bleak in many countries, there has been a major break-through for international whistleblowers. The key U.S. anti-corruption law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, was amended in 2010 to permit non-U.S. citizens to obtain large monetary rewards for or reporting violations of that law to government officials. The violations can occur anywhere in the world, and the whistleblower disclosures can be made confidentially.
According to a December 2014 report by the National Whistleblower Center, since 2011 over 1000 whistleblowers from 82 separate countries have made confidential disclosures to U.S. authorities under the American anti-corruption whistleblower reward laws. These laws permit foreign nationals to file confidential claims in the United States, including claims based on violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a law designed to combat international bribery of government officials.
“The U.S. reward programs are filling the void caused by a lack of international whistleblower protections. Until other countries enact effective laws, whistleblowers around the world will continue to face harsh retaliation,” stated Stephen M. Kohn, partner at the Washington, D.C. based whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto and author of The Whistleblower’s Handbook. “It is troubling that whistleblowers have to come to the United States for protection, while their home countries have ignored their plight, or participated in the retaliation,” Kohn added.
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May 9, 2025
