Trump tells DOJ to halt enforcement of foreign bribery ban, until new guidelines drafted

President Donald Trump directing the Justice Department to pause the enforcement of a law that bans foreign firms and American companies from bribing foreign government officials until new Attorney General Pam Bondi can come up with new guidelines. 

“It sounds good, but it hurts the country,” Trump said before signed the executive order to pause the the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to the CNBC News outlet. 

The FCPA was enacted in 1977 with the goal of stopping American firms from fueling public corruption in other countries. Trump said that while the FCPA sounds good, it isn't great for America.

“Many, many deals are unable to be made because nobody wants to do business, because they don’t want to feel like every time they pick up the phone, they’re going to jail."

The White House Office of Communications said in a Monday press release, "American national security depends in substantial part on the United States and its companies gaining strategic business advantages whether in critical minerals, deep-water ports, or other key infrastructure or assets."