Ownership Transparency

The U.S. is the easiest place in the world for a criminal, terrorist, tax cheat, or kleptocrat to open an anonymous shell company to launder their money with impunity. Anonymous corporations are great ways to hide money and other assets — they can hold a bank account or buy a yacht. Criminals often layer anonymous corporations, with one owning another and so on, making it even harder for law enforcement to “trace the money” and figure out who is directing the company’s activity. It’s time to ending the use of anonymous shell companies as vehicles for illicit activity by requiring that the true owners of U.S. companies be disclosed at the time of formation and updated upon any change.

Global Financial Integrity Sends Letter Supporting the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (S.Amdt.2198 to S.4049)

Global Financial Integrity, a founding institutional member of the FACT Coalition, has sent a letter of support to Senate Leadership backing the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (S.Amdt.2198 to S.4049) in its upcoming vote this week. Research from GFI has shown that anonymous companies are a critical component of facilitating transnational crime, including human, drugs, wildlife and arms trafficking and terrorist and rogue-state financing.

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