The U.S. State Department announced it is declassifying the July 2021 addition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez to its Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list. Hernandez has, the department claims, "engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating acts of corruption and narco-trafficking, and using the proceeds of illicit activity to facilitate political campaigns."
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Corruption +
In 2021, the U.S. was the 27th least corrupt nation in the world, according to an annual list released by Transparency International. Countries receiving top ranking include Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. The group's score for the U.S. fell from a high in 2015 due to "the persistent attacks against free and fair elections, culminating in a violent assault on the US Capitol, and an increasingly opaque campaign finance system," researchers wrote.
United States Corruption January 6 Attack
References
- CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEXtransparency.org
Governor Hochul announced a number of reforms aimed at tackling corruption in the State of New York. One reform will be the establishment of a new independent agency to replace the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. The governor said "It is clear that JCOPE is irreparably broken and has failed to earn the public's trust." Other changes include a three term limit for statewide officials as well as a ban on outside income for statewide elected officials. The Executive Chamber will also retain a law firm to investigate claims of harassment in the office.
Corruption Politics New York State
References
- The announcementgovernor.ny.gov
The invitation list for President Biden's Summit for Democracy, to be held December 9-10, has been released by the State Department. Most notably, Taiwan will be among the 110 participants, a move sure to raise tensions with China, a non-invitee. Other non-invitees include Russia, Turkey and Hungary, the only European Union member not invited. The summit will focus on three themes: defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption and promoting respect for human rights.
Taiwan Authoritarianism Summit for Democracy Human Rights Corruption Hungary Biden Administration China
References
- Participant Liststate.gov
- The Summit for Democracystate.gov