Section 7031(c) is a provision in the State/Foreign Operations appropriations statutes that authorizes the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign government officials (and their immediate family members) about whom the Department has "credible information" of involvement in ‘‘significant corruption’’ or gross human‑rights abuses; designated individuals are generally ineligible for U.S. entry. The authority includes public/private designation, an exceptions clause (e.g., for important U.S. law‑enforcement objectives or U.N. Headquarters obligations), and a Secretary‑level waiver for compelling national interest or changed circumstances.
The State Department’s public statement alleges Baules accepted bribes to advocate for China‑based interests but does not disclose underlying evidence in the public press release. The designation rests on the Department’s statement that it had "credible information;" details of that information have not been made public in the announcement.
The Bikini Resettlement Trust is a fund established to hold and manage U.S.‑provided compensation and resettlement assistance for the Bikini Atoll (and related Kili/Ejit) communities—survivors and descendants of U.S. nuclear testing in the 1940s–1950s. It was funded with U.S. assistance tied to resettlement/restitution obligations and intended to provide community income, services, infrastructure, and support for livelihoods and resettlement needs.
Beyond visa ineligibility, a public designation under Section 7031(c) can include public naming (media exposure), visa refusal/notation in consular records, potential referrals to U.S. law‑enforcement and multilateral partners, and can contribute to reputational, political, and financial consequences—but 7031(c) itself primarily creates U.S. entry ineligibility; it does not automatically impose economic sanctions or asset freezes (other statutes or agencies would be needed for those actions).
For Section 7031(c) purposes the Department’s guidance defines “immediate family members” to include spouses and children (the latter not limited by age); the Secretary of State (through State Department bureaus) decides and implements the ineligibility and public/private designations under the statute. Designation decisions and any waivers are made at the Secretary’s discretion.
Designations can strain diplomatic relations and complicate security cooperation because Palau and the Marshall Islands are U.S. COFA partners whose defense and basing arrangements and shared strategic interests (e.g., U.S. military access and regional presence) depend on close bilateral cooperation. Public accusations against high‑level officials can reduce trust, complicate cooperation on defense/aid, and create openings for rival external influence—but the U.S. has also used 7031(c) to signal anticorruption priorities while seeking to preserve formal COFA security relationships.
Designated individuals may request reconsideration through the State Department’s visa and sanctions review processes: the statute authorizes the Secretary to waive or rescind a designation if a compelling national interest or changed circumstances justify it, and Department practice allows review and (in some cases) waiver or reversal; the Department typically handles such requests through the Bureau handling visa/sanctions matters (and can consult DOJ on law‑enforcement exceptions).