Pursuing powerful officials for corruption is a lonely, often dangerous business. Presidents, ministers, and others at the apex of government don’t take nicely to being investigated, especially when they have come to believe that their office comes with a grant of impunity.  

Thanks to former French magistrate Eva Joly, whose pursuit of corruption among the French elite subjected her to ugly smear campaigns and threats to her safety, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, a safe space has been opened for those on the trail of grand corruption. At Eva’s instance, Norad sponsors twice a year conferences where those on the hunt for high-level corruption meet to share stories, trade tips, and, most importantly, remind each other why what they are doing is worth the personal price they are paying.

Just how much the Corruption Hunters Network has contributed to the fight against corruption will never be known. But in a special edition on her podcast series, French lawyer and anticorruption activist Sophie Lemaître gives us a hint. In interviews, members explain how the Network has not only advanced work on individual cases but what being a part of a group with a common cause has meant to them both personally and professionally. (Other material on the Network here, here, and here.)