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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Congressional Hearing: Lessons from the Odebrecht Corruption Scandal

Original title: UNDERSTANDING ODEBRECHT: LESSONS FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION IN THE AMERICAS

January 1, 2019

corruption foreign policy Latin America bribery international law Odebrecht

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing informs U.S. foreign policy regarding anti-corruption support in Latin America, following a $3.5 billion global bribery settlement involving Odebrecht that affected at least ten countries.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Latin American governments

Political institutions in at least ten countries have faced instability and investigations due to bribery allegations involving Odebrecht.

U.S. Department of Justice

The agency negotiated the 2016 plea agreement and monitors the resolution of bribery charges.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This House Subcommittee hearing examined the global corruption scandal involving the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. Witnesses and members discussed the impact of the company's bribery schemes on Latin American governments and explored U.S. policy options to support anti-corruption efforts in the region.

Key Facts

Odebrecht and Braskem reached a $3.5 billion global plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2016.
Odebrecht paid approximately $800 million in bribes between 2001 and 2016.
The bribery scandal involves at least ten countries in the Western Hemisphere.
The hearing was held on March 26, 2019, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
Former Brazilian President Michel Temer was arrested in March 2019 regarding bribery allegations linked to Odebrecht.
The subcommittee is exploring U.S. policy options to assist in regional anti-corruption efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Odebrecht scandal?

It was a massive bribery and scheme involving a Brazilian construction firm that paid nearly $800 million in bribes to officials across at least ten countries between 2001 and 2016.

What was the outcome of the 2016 plea deal?

Odebrecht and Braskem agreed to pay $3.5 billion in penalties to resolve bribery charges in the U.S., Brazil, and Switzerland.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward regional anti-corruption focus

The hearing signals a legislative interest in using U.S. policy to actively support anti-corruption efforts in Latin America following the Odebrecht revelations.

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and Trade

Connected Entities

organizationOdebrecht“Brazilian construction firm at the center of a global bribery scandal”Map →

personAlbio Sires“Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and T”Map →

organizationBraskem“Petrochemical company partly owned by Odebrecht”Map →

personMichael Camilleri“Witness, Director of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program at Inter-American Dia”Map →

organizationU.S. Department of Justice“Reached a plea deal with Odebrecht and Braskem in 2016”Map →

personKatya Salazar“Witness, Executive Director of the Due Process of Law Foundation”Map →

personDavid L. Hall“Witness, Partner at Wiggin and Dana LLP”Map →

personMichel Temer“Former President of Brazil arrested for bribery allegations”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment40
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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