The Securities and Exchange Commission

[thepennyking]

As a result of SEC investigations in the mid-1970's, over 400 U.S. companies admitted making questionable or illegal payments in excess of $300 million to foreign government officials, politicians, and political parties. The abuses ran the gamut from bribery of high foreign officials to secure some type of favorable action by a foreign government to so-called facilitating payments that allegedly were made to ensure that government functionaries discharged certain ministerial or clerical duties. Congress enacted the FCPA to bring a halt to the bribery of foreign officials and to restore public confidence in the integrity of the American business system.

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa/dojdocb.htm

It would appear that this practice would need to be revisited in light of the trillions of dollars being used to woo foriegn governments into Iraq.