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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will resume investigations into foreign corruption, albeit with a more limited focus, following a pause imposed earlier this year by President Donald Trump. The investigations will now concentrate solely on cases that impact the strategic interests of the nation and the international competitiveness of U.S. companies, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced these changes on Tuesday, following a four-month internal review that led to the cancellation of nearly half of the open foreign bribery cases. According to senior DOJ officials, the new policy mandates that prosecutors prioritize only those schemes that harm the ability of U.S. companies to secure contracts or engage in international markets.
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“This Department of Justice has reformed the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) to safeguard U.S. companies and refine our focus on national security,” Blanche stated in a message posted on social media platform X. “We are ending abusive excesses and closing cases that should never have been opened in the first place.”
The pause in investigations was ordered by Trump, arguing that the FCPA—a federal law prohibiting the bribery of foreign officials for commercial advantage—placed U.S. companies at a disadvantage compared to international competitors operating without similar restrictions.
Despite this review, DOJ officials clarified that there are no plans to close cases that have already been subject to formal criminal charges. The current strategy aims to streamline the Department’s resources based on national security objectives and to protect the economic leadership of the United States on the global stage.