The U.S. Drops To 29 On The Corruption Perceptions Index

The U.S. slid down another notch in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index to 29 - it's lowest score.  Here is how CNN reports it:

The United States has fallen to its worst-ever position in a leading global index that measures perception of corruption in the public sector among independent experts and businesspeople.

The world’s most powerful democracy last year slipped one notch to 29th place, out of 182, in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). That’s the lowest rank since 2012, when the index, established in 1995, was relaunched using new methodology.

In its new position, the United States tied with the Bahamas and was beaten by Lithuania (28), Barbados (24) and Uruguay (17).

The US ranking has been on a downward trend for the past decade. It took another hit last year, when the Trump administration gutted the federal government’s ability to fight public corruption by pausing investigations into corporate foreign bribery and curtailing enforcement of a foreign agent registration law, among other measures.

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has also actively weakened institutions and deployed the tools of government against his perceived foes.

The United States’ overall CPI score also hit its lowest-ever level, extending its downward slide over the past decade. It came in at 64 on a scale where 100 is very clean and 0 is highly corrupt.

“We are very concerned about the situation in the United States,” Transparency International CEO Maíra Martini told CNN Tuesday. “This declining trend might continue.”

In a statement, Transparency International, a not-for-profit coalition fighting corruption, raised further alarm about the United States: “Although 2025 developments are not yet fully reflected, actions targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence raise serious concerns.”

It added: “Beyond the CPI findings, the temporary freeze and weakening of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act signal tolerance for corrupt business practices, while cuts to US aid for overseas civil society have weakened global anti-corruption efforts.”