Editing Avon Products (section)

===American corruption charges===
Beginning in 2008, the conduct of various employees and executives of Avon were investigated for possible violations of the law, including bribery and violations of the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]].<ref name="Reuters">
{{cite news
|last=Wohl
|date=April 13, 2010
|first=Jessica
|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/avon-china-idUSN1318680420100413
|title=UPDATE 2-Avon suspends four execs in China bribery probe
|work=[[Reuters]] 
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref>

Avon began a probe of its China division after an internal whistleblower alleged bribery in June 2008.<ref name="Reuters"/> At least four executives, both in Asia and in the United States, were suspended in 2010,<ref name="Reuters"/> and later fired for their roles in the activities being investigated.<ref name=Bloomberg>
{{cite news
|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-04/avon-says-it-fired-four-executives-in-china-over-bribes.html |title=Avon Says It Probes Possible Corruption After Firing Four
|work=[[Bloomberg News]]
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', Avon spent over $170 million on legal fees and costs related to the investigation: $59 million in 2009 and $95 million in 2010, and $22.5 million for the first quarter of 2011.<ref name=NYTimes>
{{cite news
|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/the-high-price-of-internal-investigations/
|title=The High Price of Internal Inquiries
|work=N.Y. Times|date=May 6, 2011
|access-date=June 29, 2020 }}</ref> The final tally was about $500 million.

The Times reported that Avon would report the findings to the [[United States Department of Justice]] and the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) and try to negotiate the penalties that those entities may impose.<ref name=NYTimes/> On February 24, 2011, Avon filed a report with the Securities and Exchange commission highlighting the investigation as a corporate risk factor that could cause investor loss.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/8868/000119312511044531/d10k.htm#tx125165_2 |title=Avon 10-K report |publisher=Sec.gov |access-date=September 3, 2012}}</ref>

In 2014, Avon settled the bribery charges for a total of $135 million; $68 million in criminal penalties, with the remainder in interest, [[disgorgement (law)|disgorgement]], and fines from a civil case brought by the SEC.<ref name="crain's">{{cite news|title=Avon Products settles bribery charges for $135M|url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20141218/RETAIL_APPAREL/141219842/avon-products-settles-bribery-charges-for-135m|access-date=December 21, 2014|work=Crain's New York Business|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Berfield|first1=Susan|title=Avon's Ugly China Bribery Probe Ends With a $135 Million Settlement|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/avons-ugly-china-bribery-probe-ends-with-135-million-settlement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503204603/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/avons-ugly-china-bribery-probe-ends-with-135-million-settlement|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 3, 2014|access-date=December 21, 2014|work=Bloomberg Business Week|date=May 1, 2014}}</ref>