WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities say Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and petrochemical company Braskem have agreed to pay a combined penalty of at least $3.6 billion to settle allegations that they bribed government officials for business.
The Justice Department said Wednesday that it's the largest foreign bribery case in history.
The companies pleaded guilty to bribery charges in New York, admitting that they paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to win business in the United States, Switzerland and Brazil.
The companies have both agreed to cooperate with law enforcement, including in investigations into individual company officials.