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FBI might squeeze you to do things you don't want to do. Also the accused will retaliate in some way to discredit you and your company. Never deal with law enforcement without going to a lawyer first, unless it's an emergency (911 first, lawyer 2nd.)
Lawyer first, always. Not even your co-founder as he could mess things up (Unless he is a lawyer.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The dilemma is clearly between the larger good and my selfish interest in not seeing my company hurt. The industry we operate in is very narrow and while losing thus customer alone would hurt us a lot, having someone there say negative things about us could destroy us. I have already written off this customer, because if nothing else, the stress of having to manage a corrupt person while not indulging in corruption i…
IANAL but it might not be a bad idea to take a few minutes and write down who said what and when, while it's still fresh in your mind. Maybe even in some official company record ("captain's log"). Ya never know . . .
So, really and truly this government guy hit you up for a bribe? Tonight, write down every detail, sign and date (ideally with witnesses). Tomorrow morning, call the FBI. After speaking with the FBI, unless they advise otherwise, brief your CEO. Only do these things if you are really, really sure the guy actually hit you up for a bribe but if you are - I think you should do these things. -t
Already briefed my partner. Calling him again in a few minutes. Calling the FBI is tricky. I don't have any proof and as a small company, I would prefer not to have a scandal (even with us on the right side of it) be our first introductiion to the rest of the small community. In essence, what I am saying is doing the perfectly right thing would hurt us. I am thinking seriously about anonymously reporting this though.…
Watch out! Go to a lawyer first. Always lawyer. And a good one. FBI might squeeze you to do things you don't want to do. Also the accused will retaliate in some way to discredit you and your company. Never deal with law enforcement without going to a lawyer first, unless it's an emergency (911 first, lawyer 2nd.) Lawyer first, always. Not even your co-founder as he could mess things up (Unless he is a lawyer.)
The advice to get a lawyer is sound though. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of money and what money we do, we would prefer to pay our handful of employees with. We are not profitable.
But I do have some friends who went to law school. So I'll ask a friend pro bono.
As you can imagine, any legal step would be a huge distraction, and as a startup that really hurts us.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Already briefed my partner. Calling him again in a few minutes. Calling the FBI is tricky. I don't have any proof and as a small company, I would prefer not to have a scandal (even with us on the right side of it) be our first introductiion to the rest of the small community. In essence, what I am saying is doing the perfectly right thing would hurt us. I am thinking seriously about anonymously reporting this though.…
Do the country a service and stand up for what is right. You may lose this sale, but you will have your honor and integrity.
There are other concerns, outlined in my other comments. Doing anything has implications on people other than myself. And an anonymous tip, while not the most surefire way of getting this guy caught, is also an approach to doing the right thing.
Watch out! Go to a lawyer first. Always lawyer. And a good one. FBI might squeeze you to do things you don't want to do. Also the accused will retaliate in some way to discredit you and your company. Never deal with law enforcement without going to a lawyer first, unless it's an emergency (911 first, lawyer 2nd.) Lawyer first, always. Not even your co-founder as he could mess things up (Unless he is a lawyer.)
My cofounder is a solid guy. I would trust him with my life. So I have already shared this with him. The advice to get a lawyer is sound though. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of money and what money we do, we would prefer to pay our handful of employees with. We are not profitable. But I do have some friends who went to law school. So I'll ask a friend pro bono. As you can imagine, any legal step would be a huge…
> My cofounder is a solid guy. I would trust him with my life.
Good guys can mess things up unintentionally. Consequences on things this big can affect your life forever.
> Unfortunately we don't have a lot of money and what money we do, we would prefer to pay our handful of employees with. We are not profitable.
If you are in US there have to be several organizations to give you free advice on similar matters. I bet they even have 1-800 numbers.
> But I do have some friends who went to law school. So I'll ask a friend pro bono.
Good start.
> As you can imagine, any legal step would be a huge distraction, and as a startup that really hurts us.
Take this as training. Surfing the legal ecosystem is part of entrepreneurship. Ignoring this costs (in both time an money) can cost you more than your investment. Be smart.
I dealt with exactly the same situation but not in US. People doing that in the open tend to have a network of support. Do not underestimate the consequences of your (or your cofounder's) actions. Watch out.
Kickbacks is what drives business deals in many countries, including the US, Canada and you name it. That's an integral part of business culture. In some places to a lesser degree, in some - to greater. Government contracts are especially lucrative type of deals, and I would very surprised if you somehow waltzed in from the street without any prior connections and got a contract. You have to "know" people, you have to have "contacts" and you have to work to keep these "contacts" alive. Take a guess what it usually translates to.
Just say, no, can't do and walk away.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My cofounder is a solid guy. I would trust him with my life. So I have already shared this with him. The advice to get a lawyer is sound though. Unfortunately we don't have a lot of money and what money we do, we would prefer to pay our handful of employees with. We are not profitable. But I do have some friends who went to law school. So I'll ask a friend pro bono. As you can imagine, any legal step would be a huge…
Cool. > My cofounder is a solid guy. I would trust him with my life. Good guys can mess things up unintentionally. Consequences on things this big can affect your life forever. > Unfortunately we don't have a lot of money and what money we do, we would prefer to pay our handful of employees with. We are not profitable. If you are in US there have to be several organizations to give you free advice on similar matters.…
Hope your situation turned out o.k.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Now you have me worried. If I did not offer him anything, how could I be held responsible for colluding with him? I understand the risk of being painted with the same brush. This is all the more infuriating because there are other people, more senior than him at this organization who seemed enthusiastic about the project.
Don't screw around. You've described yourself as the sole witness the commission of a serious crime. Passivity and/or trying to resolve this "politely" in back channels can bite you by making you an accomplice. If it really was as bad as you describe - your next call should be to the FBI and you should prepare for that by writing down every detail you remember, as carefully and accurately as you can.
Per his own account here, he (a) discussed potential issues with "hiding" the kickback, and (b) tentatively agreed to discuss the possibility with his "by the book" partner.
I am not questioning your righteous outrage here, but this is a can of worms if there ever was one. And I'm just guessing that the sleaze ball in DC acted that way because its likely a norm in the seat of our government. (Would that really surprise you?)
(1) which country;
(2) which level of government (fed, state, city, etc.);
(3) anything else about the geographic region or field-of-work?