The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits corrupt payments by?

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) specifically aims to restrict corrupt practices by U.S. companies and individuals, focusing on bribery of foreign officials in order to obtain or retain business. The act is designed to maintain ethical business standards and promote fair competition by ensuring that U.S. entities do not engage in corrupt activities abroad. Thus, it applies to U.S. companies operating overseas, making the first choice the correct answer.

The other options either refer to entities that are not directly covered by the FCPA or focus on activities that do not fall within the scope of the Act. For example, foreign lobbyists in the U.S. or foreign companies operating within U.S. jurisdiction typically do not fall under the purview of FCPA if they are not involved in corrupt practices towards foreign officials. The mention of U.S. companies operating specifically in the Western Hemisphere narrows the scope unnecessarily, as the FCPA applies globally, not limited to specific regions. Therefore, the correct understanding is that the FCPA prohibits corrupt payments made by U.S. companies wherever they operate internationally.