Trump Administration Pulls U.S. Out of International Anti-Corruption Watchdog

The Trump administration is pulling the United States out of an international anti-corruption watchdog that has monitored safeguards governing senior U.S. officials and federal law enforcement for more than two decades. Washington formally notified the Council of Europe on September 28, 2026, that it would withdraw from the Group of States against Corruption, known as GRECO, with U.S. membership set to end December 31, 2026.

The United States will become only the third country to leave GRECO since the organization was created in 1999, following Russia and Belarus. Washington joined the group in September 2000 and has participated for more than 26 years.

The State Department said the decision followed a review of U.S. participation and concluded that paying an annual contribution to GRECO did not provide “tangible benefits to U.S. national security.” Washington said it would instead focus its anti-corruption efforts on tools including visa restrictions, sanctions and targeted foreign assistance supporting criminal investigations involving threats to U.S. security and economic interests.

“The era of writing blank checks to international bureaucracies is over,” a State Department spokesperson said.

GRECO does not prosecute corruption cases or impose fines on member countries. Instead, it monitors compliance with Council of Europe anti-corruption standards through peer evaluations that can produce recommendations, followed by reviews of how countries have responded to them.

The organization’s most recent evaluation of the United States, published in December 2023, focused on corruption prevention and integrity safeguards involving top executive functions and federal law enforcement. The review examined conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, restrictions on outside activities and enforcement of ethics rules.

Evaluators credited the United States with established laws and institutions designed to prevent corruption while identifying areas for improvement. GRECO issued 10 recommendations, including development of a broader anti-corruption strategy covering people exercising top executive functions.

The report also noted that the president and vice president are generally exempt from federal conflict-of-interest rules that apply to many other executive branch employees.

Once the withdrawal takes effect, American officials will stop participating in GRECO evaluations of other countries, while U.S. anti-corruption safeguards will fall outside the group’s recurring peer-review process.

In May 2024, the State Department praised GRECO’s peer-review system while commemorating the organization’s 25th anniversary, saying the process helped countries identify weaknesses in their anti-corruption policies and track reforms.

The Council of Europe said it regretted the U.S. decision and described Washington as a valuable contributor to GRECO and its work on preventing corruption. The organization said it remains open to renewed cooperation with the United States.

The GRECO withdrawal follows other moves by the Trump administration to reduce U.S. participation in international organizations. In January 2026, Washington also initiated its withdrawal from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, an advisory body focused on constitutional law.