The Mechanics of Complicity: A Lecture on Corruption by Asha Rangappa

How do people get away with bad behavior without being held accountable? On April 16, 2025, national security expert and former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa visited Albany to present a thought-provoking talk examining how complicit actors allow corruption to take root and flourish. Using case studies across different sectors — including the Theranos scandal, the CIA torture program, Harvey Weinstein, the Minneapolis police department, Facebook, and even Vladimir Putin, among others — Rangappa analyzed the incentives, fears, and goals of the cast of characters who are invariably a part of any corrupt system. The presentation offered lessons for managers and policymakers to develop norms, codes of conduct and oversight mechanisms that can prevent corruption and misconduct from taking root and empower those in a position to stop it. This event was presented by the Museum of Political Corruption, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, and Government Law Center at Albany Law School.