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Join host Alexandra Addison, President & Founder of TRACE, on Bribe, Swindle or Steal as she explores the world of financial crime—corruption, fraud, money laundering and sanctions—and what motivates people to break the law, how wrongdoers cover their tracks and what can be done to put a stop to the looting through interviews with experts in the field.
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At the 2025 TRACE Forum, Kirk Foster, Assistant General Counsel and Director of Compliance at HII Mission Technologies, explores how organizations can use Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) alongside compliance to proactively address emerging risks. By leveraging ERM, Kirk discusses how companies can make data-driven decisions, increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, and support business growth.
This episode was originally published on 22 October 2025.
Federico Masera with the University of New South Wales and the Resilient Democracy Lab in Sydney joins the podcast to discuss his recent research, together with Giorgio Gulino, "Contagious Dishonesty: Corruption Scandals and Supermarket Theft." Their intriguing research uncovers a trend toward substantially increased customer theft at supermarkets in the immediate aftermath of local corruption scandals involving prominent public officials.
Tom Cardamone, President and CEO of Global Financial Integrity, joins the podcast to discuss the regulatory and enforcement challenges associated with flags of convenience. These range from trafficked labor to environmental violations and Tom highlights the inherent tension between substantial tax incentives on one hand and accountability on the other.
Leonid Volkov joins the podcast to talk about Putin's obsessive campaign against Navalny, who was first poisoned with Novichok and later imprisoned. Volkov also discusses the deep roots of corruption in Russia and how the west can support Russians determined to end the looting of their country.
Walt Pavlo discusses the accounting fraud at MCI that led to his two-year prison sentence, his book "Stolen Without a Gun: Confessions from inside history's biggest accounting fraud,"and his second career with Prisonology
Peter Elkind tells the story of the Enron financial scandal; it's a timely refresher on that corporate disaster as the Trump Administration rolls back financial regulations.
Sarah Chayes describes her time in Afghanistan and discusses the link between corruption and national security.
Jack Ewing of the New York Times in Frankfurt discusses his excellent book, "Faster, Higher, Farther: The Volkswagen Scandal," and the outrageous fraud and cover-up uncovered by a handful of WVU students.
Craig Whitlock of the Washington Post describes the sleaze and corruption that compromised the top ranks of the Seventh Fleet.
Will Fitzgibbon of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) joins the podcast with an update on last year's FinCEN Files story, including a prison sentence for the whistleblower who leaked the information.
Author and business radio host Jim Campbell discusses his recent book about Bernie Madoff, his Ponzi scheme and his lack of remorse, based on extraordinary access to Madoff and members of his family and team. Jim's book is "Madoff Talks: Uncovering the Untold Story Behind the Most Notorious Ponzi Scheme in History."
Joel Bakan joins the podcast to discuss his books, and the films based on them. He outlines the fundamental conflict inherent in companies ostensibly committed to ESG principles while simultaneously driven by a legal requirement to maximize shareholder value.
Episode resources:
Learn more about Joel's work here.
Investigative reporter Sam Cooper describes the waves of drugs and laundered money from China crashing on Canada's shores. Sam's new book is "Wilful Blindness: How a Network of Narcos, Tycoons, and CCP Agents Infiltrated the West."
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