The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI)
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The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) · Institutional Policy
The AACI Medal Awards — Terms of Acceptance, Professional Integrity, and Revocation Policy
The AACI Medal Awards
Official Policy — Version 1.0
1. Purpose and Scope
The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) maintains this policy to protect the integrity, credibility, and institutional significance of its Medal Awards.
The policy establishes the conditions governing acceptance, professional integrity, permitted use, review, and possible revocation of The AACI Medals.
It applies to all three medal levels and their approved recognition areas, subject to the effective date, the terms accepted by each recipient, and applicable law.
2. Acceptance of an AACI Medal
Acceptance of an AACI Medal is voluntary.
Before receiving the medal, the recipient is required to sign The AACI Medal Awards — Recipient Acceptance and Acknowledgment, confirming acceptance of the applicable terms and conditions.
The recipient shall be provided with the relevant policy and a reasonable opportunity to review its provisions before signing.
The signed acknowledgment shall identify the applicable policy title, version number, and effective date.
The AACI shall retain the acknowledgment in its internal institutional records.
3. Professional Integrity Expectations
Recipients are expected to uphold standards of professional integrity consistent with the purpose and significance of their institutional distinction.
Recipients shall not knowingly misrepresent the nature of the award or use it to imply that The AACI has approved, certified, accredited, or endorsed their professional activities, services, business interests, or affiliated institutions.
The AACI Medal does not confer authority to act or speak on behalf of The AACI.
Recipients are expected to refrain from conduct that materially undermines the integrity of the recognition.
4. Grounds for Award Review
The AACI may initiate a review when credible information raises material concerns involving:
- Misrepresentation, fabrication, or material omission of information relevant to the original award decision.
- Serious professional misconduct established through reliable evidence or relevant official findings.
- Criminal or regulatory findings materially relevant to the integrity or purpose of the award.
- Misuse or misrepresentation of The AACI Medal, institutional name, logo, or associated recognition materials.
- Improper influence, undisclosed material conflicts of interest, or other circumstances that materially compromised the award decision.
- Other substantiated conduct fundamentally inconsistent with the purpose of the institutional distinction.
A complaint, allegation, media report, or pending investigation shall not, by itself, establish misconduct or automatically result in revocation.
The AACI shall assess the credibility, relevance, and reliability of the information before determining whether further review is justified.
5. Review and Decision Procedure
Any proposed revocation shall follow an established institutional process designed to provide procedural fairness and protect the integrity of the decision.
The procedure shall include, as appropriate:
- A documented preliminary assessment of the concerns and supporting information.
- Written notification to the recipient explaining the material grounds for review.
- A reasonable opportunity for the recipient to respond and provide relevant evidence.
- The evidence is reviewed fairly by individuals authorized by The AACI. Anyone with a conflict of interest must disclose it and must not influence the decision.
- The AACI’s authorized decision-maker records the decision and explains the reasons for it.
- The AACI informs the recipient of its decision in writing and explains how the recipient may request reconsideration, if such a procedure is available.
The AACI shall distinguish between substantiated findings, unresolved allegations, and circumstances that do not justify institutional action.
6. Revocation of an AACI Medal
The AACI may revoke a medal when the authorized decision-making body determines, following the applicable procedure, that reliable evidence establishes grounds for revocation.
The decision shall consider the seriousness of the conduct, its relationship to the original award, the reliability of the evidence, and the proportionality of revocation.
Any revocation shall be formally documented and communicated to the recipient in writing.
7. Consequences of Revocation
Following final revocation of an AACI Medal, the recipient shall:
- Cease presenting themselves as a current holder of the revoked distinction.
- Discontinue unauthorized use of the medal designation and associated AACI recognition materials, including copies or digital reproductions of the Official Letter of Award.
- Cease any representation suggesting continued institutional recognition or endorsement by The AACI.
- Return the physical medal and the original Official Letter of Award accompanying it to The AACI upon written request, in accordance with the accepted award conditions and applicable legal requirements.
The AACI shall provide reasonable return instructions and an appropriate period for compliance.
The AACI’s final decision to revoke an award remains valid even if the recipient does not return the physical medal or the original Official Letter of Award.
8. Confidentiality and Institutional Records
The AACI does not maintain a publicly accessible list or directory of medal recipients.
Award nominations, evaluations, institutional decisions, recipient acknowledgments, and related records are maintained internally, subject to applicable confidentiality and privacy requirements.
Revocation reviews and decisions shall also be handled confidentially, except where disclosure is required by applicable law or the recipient has authorized confirmation of the award’s current status under the verification procedure below.
The AACI shall maintain accurate internal records of the status of its awards.
Third-Party Award Verification and Administrative Fees
A third party seeking to verify a claimed AACI Medal should ask the individual claiming the award to request official confirmation from The AACI.
An AACI Medal recipient may request an official verification letter confirming the authenticity and current status of their award for a designated third party.
The recipient must submit a written request identifying the third party, authorize The AACI to disclose the actual current status of the award, including any unfavorable verification result, and pay the applicable administrative fee.
The AACI shall verify the award against its official institutional records. Payment of the administrative fee does not guarantee a favorable verification result.
Upon completion of the verification process, The AACI shall:
- Issue and deliver the original Official Award Verification Letter directly to the designated third party.
- Send an electronic copy of the verification letter to the award recipient by email.
- Retain a copy of the verification letter and the related authorization in its confidential institutional records.
The third party shall not be required to submit a verification request or make any payment to The AACI.
The AACI shall communicate the applicable administrative fee, payment conditions, and any delivery charges to the recipient before processing the request.
9. Policy Identification and Version Control
Each approved version of this policy shall identify:
- The official policy title.
- The version number.
- The effective date.
- The authorized approving authority.
The AACI shall retain previous approved policy versions in its institutional records.
A recipient’s signed acknowledgment shall identify the version of the policy accepted at the time of the award.
Subsequent policy amendments shall not automatically impose new material contractual obligations on existing recipients without their agreement, except where otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.
10. Applicable Law and Institutional Authority
This policy shall be administered in accordance with The AACI’s approved institutional governance procedures and in compliance with applicable legal requirements.
The AACI reserves the right to protect its name, institutional identity, and recognition program against unauthorized representation or misuse through appropriate and lawful means.