This article was originally published in McClatchy DC.
“Even before the release of the Panama Papers, the U.S. was one of the easiest places in the world for criminals, terrorists, and kleptocrats to anonymously hide illicit money with impunity,” said Clark Gascoigne, deputy director of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition, which advocates for transparency. “Now, as the U.K., Europe, and many other countries. . .take steps to end the abuse of anonymous shell companies, the U.S. is becoming an ever more attractive place to launder the proceeds of crime.”