Sid
11-08-2006, 12:12 PM
The US has suffered a “significant worsening” in its perceived levels of corruption following a series of business scandals and increasing worries over political party funding, Transparency International (http://www.transparency.org/), the anti-corruption watchdog, said on Monday.
In an international ranking of countries released ahead of Tuesday’s mid-term congressional elections, the US fell to 20th place from 17th last year.
Huguette Labelle, TI’s global chairwoman, said the reasons could include the greater awareness of corruption after the Enron and Worldcom business scandals, and growing concern in the US that private and business donations to politicians was having a corrupting influence on political affairs.
“Issues of ethics and corruption have been on the front-burner for some time with the US electorate and have played a role in the election,” Nancy Boswell, president of the group’s US chapter, said in an interview from Washington DC.
US suffers fall in corruption ranking (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7c1c49ac-6d90-11db-8725-0000779e2340.html)
In an international ranking of countries released ahead of Tuesday’s mid-term congressional elections, the US fell to 20th place from 17th last year.
Huguette Labelle, TI’s global chairwoman, said the reasons could include the greater awareness of corruption after the Enron and Worldcom business scandals, and growing concern in the US that private and business donations to politicians was having a corrupting influence on political affairs.
“Issues of ethics and corruption have been on the front-burner for some time with the US electorate and have played a role in the election,” Nancy Boswell, president of the group’s US chapter, said in an interview from Washington DC.
US suffers fall in corruption ranking (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7c1c49ac-6d90-11db-8725-0000779e2340.html)