Explore every episode of the podcast Bribe, Swindle or Steal

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Nicola Bonucci, Associate Professor at Paris Cité and former General Counsel of the OECD, reflects on 25 years of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the evolving challenges of global enforcement. From uncertainties around FCPA guidance, political influence, and uneven implementation, to questions about the U.S.'s continued leadership in anti-bribery efforts, Nicola highlights the risks companies face in an increasingly unpredictable landscape—where cross-border investigations, bribe solicitation, and public scrutiny are on the rise.

This episode was originally published on 24 September 2025.

Bradley Hope, co-founder of Project Brazen, describes his team's in-depth research into Malaysia's 1MDB scandal- and where Leonardo DiCaprio fits in.

This episode was originally published on 18 October 2017.

Louise Shelley, founder of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, discusses her book about the links between the three international scourges.

Carrie Cohen of Morrison Foerster explains the regulatory and compliance implications of blockchain-enabled technology, including cryptocurrency.

Sarah Chayes discusses her book: On Corruption in America and What is at Stake. She takes us from the myth of King Midas through to the present in a lively history of corruption and then leaves listeners with a detailed call to action.

Duncan Smith of the European Investment Bank joins the podcast to discuss his book: Promoting Integrity in the Work of International Organisations: Minimising Fraud and Corruption in Projects. He discusses the unique role of multinational development banks, the progress that remains and the cost of getting it wrong.

Bestselling author, Rich Cohen, describes the "missing link" between American pirates and gangsters: underworld legend and notorious criminal, Albert Hicks. Rich also makes clear how far law enforcement has come since the days of Hicks' many gruesome crimes.

Retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell joins the podcast to describe the review he was commissioned to undertake of Hockey Canada's organizational structure in the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal that shook confidence in the sport in 2018.

Sebastian Abbot, author of "The Away Game; The Epic Search for Soccer's Next Superstars," talks about Qatar and the biggest soccer talent search in history, as well as the darker side of recruiting for the sport.

This episode was originally published on 4 June 2018.

Leah Ambler, Director, Corruption Prevention at the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and former Legal Analyst at the OECD, joins the podcast—in her personal capacity—to discuss her excellent chapter on Whistleblower Protections. Leah discusses the importance of whistleblower protections to reducing corruption and the challenges inherent in these protections in the absence of comprehensive, harmonized legislation.

This episode was originally published on 12 January 2022.

Patrick Alley, co-founder of Global Witness and author of Very Bad People: The Inside Story of the Fight Against the World's Network of Corruption, joins the podcast to discuss the early days of his Global Witness investigations, how their efforts gained momentum and where we should be focusing our attention next.

This episode was originally published in 10 August 2022.

Melissa Goldin, a NY-based News Verification Reporter and Editor with The Associated Press analyzes and debunks fake news. 

Listen to the riveting first-hand story of a Unaoil executive who found himself at the center of a bribery scheme.

This episode was originally published in 16 August 2017.

Diana Henriques, award-winning journalist and author, discusses the traits of fraudsters and the menace of reputation laundering.

Shaul Shalvi, Professor of Behavioral Ethics at the University of Amsterdam, describes how people convince themselves that their misconduct is okay.

Nick McKenzie, award-winning Australian investigative journalist, shares the inside story of his role in exposing the Unaoil scandal.

This episode was originally published on 12 July 2017.

Brian Klaas, Associate Professor at University College London and host of the award-winning podcast "Power Corrupts," joins us to discuss his book "Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us". Brian describes research on who is drawn to positions of power and how power impacts us, including potentially re-wiring our brains.

This episode was originally published 30 March 2022.

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Chuck Duross, Global Co-Chair of the FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption Practice at Morrison Foerster, discusses the DOJ's evolving voluntary self-disclosure policies and the balance of risks and rewards for companies. From increased incentives under the 2025 Corporate Enforcement Policy to the challenges of parallel investigations, Charles explores what drives the decision to self-disclose and why it remains one of the toughest calls in compliance today.

This episode was originally published on 15 October 2025.

Joel Bakan joins the podcast to discuss his books, and the films based on them. He outlines the fundamental conflict inherent in companies ostensibly committed to ESG principles while simultaneously driven by a legal requirement to maximize shareholder value.

Michael Forsythe, co-author with Walt Bogdanich of "When McKinsey Comes to Town", joins the podcast to talk about McKinsey's work in support of autocratic regimes, its rampant conflicts of interest and the distance between its stated values and its work on the ground. 

This episode was originally published on 18 January 2023.

Speaking at the 2022 TRACE London Forum, Oliver Bullough, author of Butler to the World, discusses the UK's role as an enabler of financial crime, efforts toward accountability, the balance between transparency and privacy, and the weaponization of lawsuits in British courts to silence journalists.

Richard Conway, Managing Partner at SPECTACLE, and former BBC Sport correspondent, describes the vast state-sponsored Russian doping scandal and how the credibility of global sports is being undermined.

This episode was originally published on 7 February 2018.

Declan Hill discusses the pervasive and sinister nature of match-fixing and how we can prevent sport from being turned into theater.

In this episode, we hear from Leonid Volkov, who spoke at the 2022 TRACE London Forum. Leonid, former Chief of Staff to Alexei Navalny and current Political Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), discussed the role of corruption in Putin's Russia, as well as the impact of sanctions and the toll that rampant corruption is taking on the country.

This episode was originally published on 5 October 2022.

Here's our conversation with Bill Browder from the 2022 TRACE London Forum. Bill discusses his book Freezing Order and his ongoing quest for accountability and justice following the abuse and murder of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky.

This episode was originally published on 28 September 2022.

Sally Dennis, former President of Rugby Canada and current Canadian representative on the Council of World Rugby, describes her role in the professionalization of sports governance, where challenges remain—​ and rugby's arguably unique invulnerability to match fixing!

Ken Bensinger, award-winning investigative reporter, author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, discusses his fascinating book, Red Card, and the decades of misconduct by FIFA eventually uncovered by the FBI. We play "violation bingo" as Ken describes the bribery, self-dealing, conflicts of interest and money-laundering that were business as usual at FIFA.

This episode was originally published on 27 June 2018.

At the 2025 TRACE Forum, Misti Mukherjee, Partner at Extensio Law, and Debra Joy Pérez, Chief Equity Officer at United States Pharmacopeia (USP), explore the evolving expectations for diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations. They share recommendations for implementing evidence-based equitable practices and emphasize that DEI should be embedded in the core of compliance programs—not treated as a side hustle.

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Gordon McKechnie, Executive President of Canadian Bank Note, explores the evolving dynamics between the U.S. and Canada. As Canada's focus shifts toward Europe and Asia, Gordon discusses changing trade priorities, diverging foreign policies, and the impact of tariffs on both economies.

At the 2025 TRACE Forum, Kirk Foster, Assistant General Counsel and Director of Compliance at HII Mission Technologies, explores how organizations can use Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) alongside compliance to proactively address emerging risks. By leveraging ERM, Kirk discusses how companies can make data-driven decisions, increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, and support business growth.

At the 2025 TRACE Annapolis Forum, Billy Jacobson, Partner at Jacobson Lopez, explores the DOJ's shifting FCPA priorities—from a focus on "grand corruption" and the costs of investigations to prosecutorial uncertainty and statutes of limitation. In today's unpredictable environment, companies must stay the course, protect resources, and invest in training.

This is a powerful session from the 2022 TRACE London Forum featuring Leonid Volkov, former Chief of Staff to Alexei Navalny and Political Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF). Leonid discusses the role of corruption in Putin's Russia as well as the impact of sanctions and the toll that rampant corruption is taking on Russia.

This episode was originally published on 5 October 2022.

Eugene Soltes, Author, and Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, describes his fascinating research into what motivates white collar criminals and how distance from their victims makes it easier.

Karen Benson, Senior Counsel, Legal, at Energizer Holdings, shares a broad range of tips on how to build a targeted, innovative training program that keeps employs interested and engaged.

This week's podcast features an excellent presentation by Misti Mukherjee, founder and managing member of Extensio Law.  Misti addresses the shifting field of diversity, equity and inclusion—including recent changes to the law—and emphasizes the critical importance of this work alongside the need to approach it with intentionality and discipline.

This episode was originally published on 5 August 2024.

Chuck Duross, Global Co-Chair of the FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption Practice at Morrison Foerster, and former head of the DOJ's FCPA unit, discusses lures, stings, wiretaps and INTERPOL Red Notices.

This episode was originally published on 7 March 2018.

Author, academic and former compliance professional, Alison Taylor joins the podcast to talk about her compelling book, "Higher Ground". She describes the contradictions inherent in companies that talk about "doing well by doing good" and explains why corporate reputation management can't be an end in itself and how trying to do less can be the best strategy. "You don't have to join every conversation".

This week, we're listening in on Alexandra Wrage's keynote presentation at a Whistleblowers and Public Integrity conference hosted by the Vancouver Anti-Corruption Institute (VACI). She addresses the incredible personal price that whistleblowers pay when they're driven to expose misconduct, explores how we can begin to shift the tone of the discussion around reporting and notes how difficult it is to uncover financial crime without whistleblowers.

This episode was originally published on 16 November 2022.

Paul Caruana Galizia, an investigative journalist at the Financial Times and Author of "A Death in Malta", joins the podcast to talk about the work of his mother, Daphne, the growing danger she perceived as her investigations reached the highest circles of power in Malta, and now the criminal proceedings against the two men who killed her. Paul also discusses the Daphne Foundation and the incredible journalistic community that worked together, again, to prove that killing a journalist won't kill their story.

This episode was originally published on 12 October 2022.

At the TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting award ceremony last month, former prosecutor and National Observer columnist Sandy Garossino led a conversation with ICIJ's Spencer Woodman, Bellingcat's Aric Toler, and 2022 Prize winners Hans Peterson Hammer of Göteborgs-Posten and Lilia Saúl Rodriguez of the OCCRP. They discuss the evolution, impact and future of cross-border collaborative investigative journalism.

Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa joins the podcast to talk about corruption, disinformation and how to stand up to a dictator.

This podcast was originally published on February 22, 2023.

Dr. Magnus Ohman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) joins the podcast to discuss how corruption undermines free and fair elections. He discusses his recent publication "Vote for Free: A Global Guide for Citizen Monitoring of Campaign Finance," which provides an eight-step model for civil society organizations seeking to monitor campaign finance.

This episode was originally published on 30 November 2022.

Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody describe with passion their work with the International Rescue Committee. They tell us what America as a haven means to them and mourn the news that 545 children separated from their parents on the US southern border cannot be restored to their parents. They conclude with a fervent appeal to Americans to turn out to vote in this election.

This episode was originally published in October 2020.

As Syria struggles to get on its feet after decades under the tyrannical father-son Assad regime, we're revisiting a story from 2024 when those desperate to leave Syria were preyed upon by a human smuggling ring. The story was brought to light by Mahmoud Elsobky, one of the two winners of the 2024 TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Originally posted on Jul. 10, 2024

We are revisiting an episode from 2020 with David Shimer. David discusses his book that reviews the century of covert election interference by Russia and the U.S., the known impact of Russian meddling in 2016, and their growing capacity to interfere in future elections.

This podcast is based on TRACE's recent Year in Review webinar with Kate Atkinson. Kate is a Member and the Chair of Miller & Chevalier, based in their DC office, and she reviews for us the FCPA highlights for 2024.

We're reposting our 2017 podcast with Adam Davidson of the New Yorker who joined the podcast to talk about his research into the baffling Trump Hotel deal in Baku.

This episode was originally published on 14 June 2017.

In light of last week's inauguration, we're revisiting a 2020 podcast episode with Dan Alexander, author and senior editor at Forbes, discussing his book about Trump's business deals with foreign entities, including one very strange deal with the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar.

This episode was originally published on 7 October 2020.

This inauguration week, we're revisiting a 2020 podcast on President Trump's assault on the civil service. In this episode, Harvard law professor, Matthew Stephenson, provides some context for understanding Trump's executive order on the civil service and then lists the three primary threats it poses for corruption. A more detailed discussion can be found on his Global Anticorruption Blog.

This episode was originally published on 4 November 2020.

Our guest today, Dr. Rebecca Connolly, joins us to discuss her work on the legal governance of outer space relating to militarization, security and commercialization, drawing some interesting parallels to the law of the sea and making it clear that there is still a lot of work to be done.