The Enablers: How Western Professionals Import Corruption and Strengthen Authoritarianism

As globalization began breaking down divisions between Western elites and their counterparts in the Eastern hemisphere, some American legal, financial, and communications professionals sought new opportunities among clients with fortunes of dubious provenance.

But instead of carrying the rule of law into corrupt societies, networking between U.S. professional services providers and kleptocrats linked to authoritarian regimes has undermined American values, democracy, and national security. Some of the most distinguished and influential professions have become importers of dirty money and underhand practices.

On September 6, 2018, Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative held a discussion on “The Enablers: How Western Professionals Import Corruption and Strengthen Authoritarianism," a new report examining what policies are needed to close the loopholes commonly exploited by foreign kleptocrats and their professional facilitators in the United States.

To read the report, click here.