Corruption Crime & Compliance

A competitor could trigger a federal investigation against your company, just by filing a whistleblower complaint about your imports. In this episode, Michael Volkov explores how the Trump Administration is reshaping the enforcement landscape by linking trade compliance and the False Claims Act (FCA) in unprecedented ways. With “trade and customs fraud, including tariff evasion” now a DOJ national...

What happens when companies ignore red flags, bypass legal advice, and underestimate the reach of U.S. export laws? In this episode, Michael Volkov unpacks two major enforcement actions from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). These cases serve as cautionary tales for companies navigating complex...

Could your supply chain be funding cartels without you realizing it? In today’s complex global economy, companies are grappling with a dual challenge - the urgent need to unravel their supply chains and the immediate recalibration of due diligence systems to detect links to cartel and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). With the Department of Justice sharpening its focus on both direct pr...

What happens when a company inherits a sanctions violation through acquisition, and acts fast to fix it? Can a robust post-acquisition response really save a parent company from prosecution? In this episode, Michael Volkov unpacks the fascinating DOJ-led global enforcement action against UNICAT Catalyst Technologies - a case that reflects the U.S. government's intensifying focus on trade enforceme...

Are your trade compliance programs truly airtight - or are they just good enough to get caught? In this episode, Michael breaks down why tariff and trade violations are now squarely on DOJ’s radar, and why the heat is rising fast for importers, especially those dealing with Chinese goods. With enforcement priorities shifting, companies are at increased risk of both regulatory investigations a...

Has the pendulum swung back on FCPA enforcement - and will companies be ready when it hits? Is the DOJ’s renewed push on FCPA enforcement a strategic shift - or just old wine in a new bottle? In this episode, Michael discusses the return of the Justice Department to the FCPA enforcement arena. In a significant development, DOJ announced the resumption of FCPA enforcement, accompanied by a new set...

Is AI a magic bullet - or just another tool in the compliance toolkit? What really happens when you let algorithms near your risk decisions?  In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance , Christian Focacci, founder and CEO of Threat. Digital, returns for a thoughtful and highly practical conversation about the state of artificial intelligence in compliance and third-party risk management....

What if your trade compliance misstep became tomorrow’s federal prosecution headline? In this episode, Michael Volkov issues a powerful warning to corporate leaders and compliance professionals: the DOJ is no longer treating trade violations as minor infractions—they're targeting them as fraud under the False Claims Act. With trade compliance now framed as a national security issue, this administr...

Is your company ready to bet its future on whether it can outpace a whistleblower to the DOJ’s door? In this episode, Michael Volkov takes a deep dive into the Department of Justice’s newly announced strategy to reshape corporate enforcement. With promises of greater clarity, reduced penalties, and fewer monitors, the DOJ wants companies to see voluntary disclosure as a smart and safe move - not a...

What happens when the world’s most influential anti-bribery law is abruptly paused? Is transparency merely a compliance box-tick—or the most powerful tool we have against global threats like kleptocracy, sanctions evasion, and illicit finance? In this eye-opening episode of  Corruption, Crime, and Compliance , Michael Volkov is joined by two powerhouse experts in the global fight against...

What if your next import shipment becomes the centre of a federal enforcement action — not because of criminal intent, but because of a mistake? In today’s episode, Michael Volkov breaks down the expanding power and reach of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and what it means for businesses navigating an increasingly aggressive trade enforcement landscape. With the Trump Administration’s re...

Are you running a compliance program that’s making a real impact—or just checking the boxes? In this episode, Michael Volkov dives into LRN’s 2025 Program Effectiveness Report, an annual benchmark that separates the truly impactful compliance programs from those that are merely operational. Based on insights from 1,500 global ethics and compliance professionals, this year’s report draws a clear li...

When The United States has hit pause on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement—it left many asking whether Europe will now be stepping up to lead the global anti-corruption charge. In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance, Michael Volkov explores how European prosecutors are responding to the enforcement gap, why multinational companies can’t afford to slow down their complian...

Could your routine data transfers now violate federal law? The DOJ’s new Data Security Program (DSP) targets the flow of U.S. sensitive personal and government data to foreign adversaries — and the clock is ticking. In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance , Michael Volkov breaks down the Justice Department’s sweeping new Data Security Program, enacted under Executive Order 14117 and fi...

How prepared is your organization to handle the evolving landscape of sanctions compliance? In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance, Michael Volkov dives into critical sanctions compliance cases and their implications for global companies. He discusses four significant cases that underscore the necessity of robust compliance programs, particularly in light of increased DOJ enforcement...

What do you do when the headlines shift faster than your risk matrix can keep up? In this episode, Michael Volkov dives into the challenge of adapting compliance programs in the face of volatile and fast-changing global risks—from tariffs and trade controls to supply chain disruptions and third-party exposures. While the pressure to react is constant, the real key is staying anchored in your compa...

This week we are pleased to bring you one of our most popular episodes of 2024. Please enjoy, and we will be back next week with more insights from the Corruption, Crime, and Compliance podcast.  How can companies build trust and drive growth in a region as politically and economically volatile as Latin America? In this episode, Nicolas Garcia - Vice President, Legal, Regional and Compliance Mana...

This week, we are pleased to bring you one of our most popular episodes of 2024. Please enjoy, and we will be back next week with more insights from the Corruption, Crime, and Compliance podcast. Carlos Villagrán is the Director of Compliance at CMPC, a 100-year-old Chilean-based holding company, one of the worldwide leading pulp, paper, packaging, personal care, and other forest products manufact...

This week we are pleased to bring you one of our most popular episodes of 2024. Please enjoy, and we will be back next week with more insights from the Corruption, Crime, and Compliance podcast. Have you heard of the recent controversies around Boeing 737 MAX and its safety? Have you wondered what is being done about the concerns around it? In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance , Mi...

This week we are pleased to bring you one of our most popular episodes of 2024. Please enjoy, and we will be back next week with more insights from the Corruption, Crime, and Compliance podcast. How do you manage risk when the vulnerabilities are outside your organization aren’t in your hands? In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance, we delve into the world of third-party risk managem...

This week, we bring you a replay of one of our most impactful podcasts from last year, featuring Alex Cotoia and Daniela Melendez. Listen in as we discuss the EU Whistleblower Directive of October 2019. We'll return next week with one of our regular updates. Directive 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and Council dated 23 October 2019 on the “protection of persons who report breaches of Union l...

Is your company prepared for the compliance storm ahead? With tariffs shaking global trade, aggressive sanctions enforcement, and new risks from AI, businesses must rethink their strategies. Can your compliance program keep up, or will it be left scrambling? In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance , Michael Volkov unpacks the rapidly shifting risk landscape facing businesses today. Fr...

Are You Ready for the Next Wave of Corporate Risk? Corporate risks are shifting, and every board, C-suite, and compliance team must take a fresh look at their risk landscape. While some risks like cybersecurity, data privacy, and artificial intelligence remain high priorities, others—such as anti-corruption and antitrust enforcement—are evolving in unexpected ways. With regulatory changes and new...

What happens when an entire era of anti-corruption enforcement is put on pause? Is this a strategic move to bolster American businesses or a dangerous rollback of corporate accountability? In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has hit the brakes on FCPA enforcement for at least 180 days, citing concerns over U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. In this episode of Corru...

How do sanctioned Russian oligarchs continue to move their wealth despite international restrictions? The answer lies in real estate, shell companies, and complicit gatekeepers. In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance , Michael Volkov dives into one of the latest OFAC enforcement actions against Family International and its owner, Roman Sinyavsky, for facilitating sanctions evasion on...