RTX Corp defense company charged with foreign bribes in effots to get contracts with Qatari military

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that RTX Corporation, a Virginia-based aerospace and defense company, agreed to pay more than $124 million to resolve charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with payments made to assist in obtaining contracts with the Qatari military. RTX, which was named Raytheon Technologies Corp. until 2023, was formed after the 2020 merger of Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corp. (collectively, Raytheon). A full copy of the SEC Order including charges against Raytheon is attached here and makes for intereting reading. https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2024/34-101353.pdf

According to the SEC’s order, Raytheon used sham subcontracts with a supplier to pay bribes of nearly $2 million to Qatari military and other officials from 2011 to 2017 to obtain Qatari military defense contracts. Additionally, the order finds that from the early 2000s into 2020, Raytheon paid more than $30 million to a Qatari agent who was a relative of the Qatari Emir and who, despite being retained as Raytheon’s representative in Qatar, had no prior background in military defense contracting. Raytheon obtained additional defense contracts through the agent under circumstances with significant corruption risks. The order finds that Raytheon continued working with the agent even after numerous Raytheon employees raised concerns about risks of corruption and despite a lack of adequate documentation of the agent’s services.

The SEC’s order finds that Raytheon violated the antibribery, internal accounting controls, and books and records provisions of the FCPA. Raytheon consented to the entry of the SEC’s order requiring it to cease and desist from committing or causing any future violations and to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest of approximately $49 million and a civil penalty of $75 million, $22.5 million of which will be offset by a criminal fine in a parallel criminal action. As part of the resolution, Raytheon must retain an independent compliance monitor for three years. 

Jeff Newman JD MBA, represents whistleblowers nationwide relating to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, under the state and federal False Claims Act (Qui Tam) and corporate whistleblowers in major claims under the SEC, CFTC and FINCEN whistleblower programs. He can be reached at Jeff@JeffNewmanLaw.com or at 617-823-3217