NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Deutsche Bank allegedly hired children of Russian, Chinese officials to win work

By Renae Merle
Washington Post·
27 Aug, 2019 03:29 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Allegations outlined in an SEC settlement among several issues haunting Deutsche Bank. Photo / Getty Images

Allegations outlined in an SEC settlement among several issues haunting Deutsche Bank. Photo / Getty Images

Deutsche Bank had repeatedly failed to secure work with a Russian government entity when it was approached with a proposal: hire the daughter of a high-ranking official at the organisation.

"We must do it!" a senior Deutsche Bank official said, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. "We should have her in London as it is NOT politically correct to have her in Moscow!"

The woman was hired with a promise of a permanent position in London, according to allegations detailed in an SEC settlement agreement. Ten days after the move was complete, the new employee's father sent Deutsche Bank a request for a proposal on a bond deal worth more than US$2 billion ($3.1b), a deal the bank ultimately won.

READ MORE:
• How Deutsche Bank is rehashing the same old mistakes
• Comment: Deutsche's bankers were alienated from their jobs
• Deutsche Bank's retreat was late but necessary

The SEC order outlines numerous alleged violations by the bank of the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by providing jobs to relatives of foreign government officials in an attempt to influence the officials to steer business to the bank. Deutsche Bank agreed to settle the SEC's allegations late last week by paying US$16 million, though it did not admit wrongdoing.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In another case, a senior executive at a Russian state-owned entity asked the bank to hire his son, who also wanted to work in Deutsche's London offices, according to the SEC. A London-based Deutsche human resources employee flagged the move as "the classic nepo situation that we have every year" but was overruled.

After two months, the human resources executive wanted the son fired despite his father's position. He had failed to come to work, failed an exam and was "a liability to the program, if not the firm," the Deutsche employee said.

Instead, the son was transferred back to Moscow, where he continued to work for another two months, according to the SEC document.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The episodes are among several controversies haunting Deutsche. The German bank is also going through a major reorganisation and faces intense scrutiny of its relationship with President Donald Trump and his businesses.

A Deutsche Bank attorney appeared to frustrate a federal appeals court Friday by refusing to say whether the bank has a copy of Trump's tax returns. The court, which was hearing evidence in a lawsuit Trump filed, gave the bank until Tuesday afternoon to respond in writing.

Once a global powerhouse, catering to the US elite from a tower on Wall Street, Deutsche Bank's fortunes have waned in recent years, and in July it announced a sweeping restructuring, including gutting its stock and bond trading business and reducing other investment bank operations. The overhaul will mean as many as 18,000 job cuts by 2022 out of its 90,000 workers.

Hampering its efforts to rebound have been various investigations into the bank's conduct. It's at the center of one of the largest money-laundering cases in history, involving Danske, Denmark's largest bank.

Discover more

Business

Ebos opens Shanghai office after daigou crackdown

26 Aug 11:33 PM
Business

Trump can battle China or expand the economy. He can't do both

26 Aug 11:45 PM
Business

Comment: Never let a good crisis go to waste

27 Aug 06:30 AM
Business

Cavalier living dangerously after $16.8m loss

27 Aug 06:24 AM

Last week, Deutsche Bank settled the SEC charges that it violated foreign bribery laws between 2006 and 2014 by providing valuable jobs to the relatives of foreign government officials it wanted to work with. In addition to the cases involving Russian entities, the SEC also outlined several cases involving China.

In one case, a Deutsche employee revised the résumé of the son of a company executive it hoped to work with. The original résumé was full of typos and grammatical errors, according to the SEC settlement.

In another, the bank hired the son of the chairman of a Chinese state-owned enterprise. The executive's son was rejected for the job twice before a high-level Deutsche executive weighed in, the SEC settlement agreement said.

"Deutsche Bank provided substantial cooperation to the SEC in its inquiry and has implemented numerous remedial measures to improve the bank's hiring practices," the bank said in a statement.

Investigations by two House committees into Russian money-laundering allegations and the president's finances could intensify the focus on Deutsche's work with foreign governments. Deutsche Bank has said it is cooperating with all investigations, including the two House committees.

Trump is appealing a lower court ruling that cleared the way for Deutsche Bank and Capital One to turn over years of financial records from the president, his three eldest children and the president's companies to the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the hearing Friday, the judges asked the banks' attorneys what initially appeared to be a simple question: If the subpoenas were upheld, would the tax returns of the president or anyone else associated with the case be turned over?

Deutsche Bank's attorney repeatedly refused to answer, citing "contractual obligations." It now has until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to submit a letter to the court answering the question. It is unclear whether the response will be made public.

Trump's company has taken out about US$364m in loans from Deutsche Bank since 2012, according to public filings. The loans included two worth US$125m to buy and renovate the Doral golf resort in Florida, a US$170m loan to renovate a Washington building into a Trump hotel, and a US$69m loan to refinance an existing Trump hotel in Chicago.

"You have a situation where Mr. Trump is going to Deutsche Bank asking for very large loans when no other bank apparently will touch him," Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House, told the appeals court last week. "For obvious reasons both committees here want to know why is it that Deutsche Bank would be willing to lend a large amount of money" to Trump.

Trump's attorney Patrick Strawbridge told the court that the committees were pushing the boundaries of their powers to target and embarrass the president. Trump is fighting efforts to access his tax returns and other detailed financial information in courts across the country.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Media InsiderUpdated

'Hostile from outset': Heather du Plessis-Allan on Ardern, Luxon and evasive politicians

25 Jun 05:27 PM
Premium
Media InsiderUpdated

6pm TV news battle: Are 1m people really still watching? The numbers are in

25 Jun 05:17 PM
New Zealand

New AI service to revolutionise how Kiwis compare energy plans

25 Jun 05:00 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
6pm TV news battle: Are 1m people really still watching? The numbers are in

6pm TV news battle: Are 1m people really still watching? The numbers are in

25 Jun 05:27 PM

TVNZ boss raised some eyebrows in political circles with ratings comments - is she right?

'Hostile from outset': Heather du Plessis-Allan on Ardern, Luxon and evasive politicians

'Hostile from outset': Heather du Plessis-Allan on Ardern, Luxon and evasive politicians

25 Jun 05:27 PM
New AI service to revolutionise how Kiwis compare energy plans

New AI service to revolutionise how Kiwis compare energy plans

25 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Moana Pasifika's future in doubt as key funding contracts end

Moana Pasifika's future in doubt as key funding contracts end

25 Jun 05:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP