POSTPONED: Oil, Money & Power: the Inner Workings of Corruption and How to Fight Back (Book Launch and Discussion)

Washington, D.C. 20005

This event is co-hosted by the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Global Witness, Oxfam America and Publish What You Pay U.S. 

Speakers:

• Alexandra Gillies, author of Crude Intentions and advisor at the Natural Resource Governance Institute
• Will Fitzgibbon, senior reporter, International Consortium of International Journalists (ICIJ)
• Elise Bean, former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Moderator: Corinna Gilfillan, head of U.S. office, Global Witness

Corruption in the oil and gas sector threatens democracy, peace and security; our response to climate change; and efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It plagues countries rich and poor, and features a global cast of accomplices, often from here in the U.S. From Rio de Janeiro to Moscow to Baghdad, millions of citizens have taken to the streets to protest its most systemic forms. Preventative measures such as transparency requirements face resistance from powerful vested interests.
 
On March 11th, we will examine this challenge, with a focus on two new resources. The event is the Washington, D.C. launch of the new book Crude Intentions: How Oil Corruption Contaminates the World. Called “an essential primer on the new world order” by investigative journalist Tom Burgis, Crude Intentions examines the corruption crisis that erupted during the 2008-2014 oil boom. Drawing on information exposed by journalists, NGOs, prosecutors and whistleblowers, Crude Intentions tells stories from Angola, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Iraq, Nigeria, Russia, the U.S. and beyond.
 
The explosive “Luanda Leaks” have provided an inside glimpse of how political elites capture wealth in one oil-rich country. Coordinated by the International Consortium of International Journalists (ICIJ), scores of journalists helped dissect the 715,000 leaked files about the business affairs of Angola’s former first family. The integral role of enablers, including some of the world’s best-known financial services firms, is on full display.
 
The panel will examine how recent investigations and exposés can inform a smarter fight against corruption, in the oil sector and beyond.