James Tillen comments on the possibility that News Corp could face a civil action brought under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for suspect accounting over the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World.  Although the FCPA also allows for a criminal case to be brought against News Corp over alleged bribes paid by News International to police officers, a civil case would require a much lower burden of proof and could still carry heavy fines and compliance penalties. "Any payments to police that were inaccurately recorded or payments to phone hackers paid from some kind of slush fund, or anything suggesting there wasn't a proper control environment in place would make it easier for the US authorities to go after News Corps," Tillen says.  He continues, "It is much easier to show than a bribery allegation."