Former Treasury Agent Urges Authorities to Target the Drivers of Human Trafficking, Drug Smuggling, and Corruption
Ending Anonymous Companies; Trade Transparency Units; Holding Gatekeepers Accountable Among Policy Recommendations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Worldwide anti-money laundering efforts are currently just a decimal point away from total failure, according to a new report published Tuesday by the FACT Coalition.
Over the past several decades, anonymous shell companies have been at the heart of heinous crimes, including cases of grand corruption, human trafficking, and even the facilitation of the opioid epidemic. Didier Jacobs of Oxfam America highlighted some of the blights of anonymous companies in a recent blog. In it, he describes how drug lords, corrupt politicians, and human traffickers are able to perform illegal acts while hidden from justice by a veil of anonymity. With shielded identities, criminals can effectively function above the law.
The FACT Coalition joined 43 other organizations to send a letter to Reps. Maloney, King, Royce, Waters, and Moore supporting the Corporate Transparency Act (H.R. 3089), which would enable law enforcement to more effectively and efficiently conduct investigations, enhancing safety by saving time and resources in pursuing complex money laundering operations. The full letter can be read below or downloaded here.
Transparency Measures Have Broad Support from Financial Institutions, Law Enforcement, and Anti-Corruption Advocates
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan pieces of legislation introduced on June 28, 2017 aim to crack down on one of the prime enablers of criminal money laundering and terrorist financing — the abuse of anonymous shell companies.
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition (FACT Coalition) sent a letter to Reps. Maloney, King, Royce, Waters, and Moore supporting the Corporate Transparency Act (H.R. 3089), which would enable law enforcement to more effectively and efficiently conduct investigations, enhancing safety by saving time and resources in pursuing complex money laundering operations. The full letter can be read below or downloaded here.
This FACT sheet outlines the devastating impact of financial secrecy on Africa, Latin America, and communities of color in the United States.
