This week, the Biden Administration took a series of steps
showing that anti-corruption issues across the globe will be among
its highest priorities.
On December 6, 2021, the Biden Administration unveiled the first
ever "United States Strategy on Countering Corruption."
While corruption has long been viewed by the US as a top criminal
threat that federal agencies attempt to combat, the Strategy is
notable for many reasons. First, the Administration discusses a
"whole-of-government" approach to fighting corruption
that will rely on engagement with the private sector, federal
prosecution of corrupt actors, and more aggressive efforts by
foreign countries and state and local governments. Second, the
Administration labels corruption as a "national security
concern," which may cause agencies to shift some of the vast
resources they ordinarily devote to more traditional national
security threats, such as terrorism and espionage, to investigating
and prosecuting bribes to
