Total SA to pay $398 million to end U.S. case of bribes paid to Iranian Official for oil rights

Total SA has agreed to pay $398 million to settle a Department of Justice probe into bribes that it allegedly paid to the tune of $60 million to an Iranian official in order to gain development rights to three oil and gas fields in Iran. The CEO of Total may still face criminal charges in France for misuse of company funds. The company will also pay $153 million of illegal profits in a related civil settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Total earns billions of dollars in profit every quarter. Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.