Bribery

Bribery is the act of giving something of value in return for influence or action. Money, a material good or a resource can be exchanged for influence. Bribery can occur in both the public and private sector and it is illegal.

Some examples of bribery include a public official accepting money to disregard the enforcement of a law or a credit agency providing a favorable credit rating to a company in exchange for a payment. Whistleblowers expose these kinds of wrongdoing, helping keep markets and society fair and corruption to a minimum.

In March 2016, medical device provider Olympus Corporation of the Americas paid $646 million in fines for violating bribery and anti-kickback laws after a whistleblower exposed them. Olympus was paying doctors and providing kickbacks like lavish trips to entice doctors and hospital administrators to sell their medical devices. The whistleblower was a former employee who used the False Claims Act to win the case. He received an undisclosed portion of the $646 million.