Wal-Mart’s expansion into Mexico, one of the great American business success stories of recent years, may also have led the giant retailer into extensive violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act — in particular, if a New York Times investigation is to be believed, through efforts by U.S. management to sweep under the rug strong evidence that rogue management in Mexico had paid millions of dollars in bribes to facilitate the chain’s expansion. [NYT, AW, Business Insider] Last fall I described the law as “a feel-good piece of overcriminalization” that Congress should never have passed; more on FCPA here.

Filed under: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Wal-Mart