The FBI Compliance Academy—Talking Ethics and Integrity

Earlier this week, the FBI held its third “Compliance Academy,” bringing together three dozen professionals from the private sector for a two-day event that introduces compliance professionals to the FBI and its compliance program, provides insight into substantive FBI issues and programs, and gathers feedback on how we can improve our program.

Presentation topics ranged from economic espionage to money laundering trends, from Bureau challenges in a cyber-based world to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations, among others. Director Mueller also spoke at the event, which was co-hosted by the FBI’s Office of Integrity and Compliance and the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association (ECOA), a non-profit organization made up of compliance professionals from around the world.

“The Compliance Academy is our way of saying ‘thanks’ to the corporate compliance community for its assistance in establishing the FBI compliance program,” says Patrick Kelley, assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Integrity and Compliance. “It also provides an opportunity to introduce some of these professionals to their FBI and to exchange ideas and best practices.”

As the first federal agency to launch a compliance office, the FBI turned to the private sector for advice in launching its program in 2007. Soon, it had built relationships with organizations such as the ECOA and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). From that was born the FBI Compliance Academy.