Money Laundering | Page 5 | The FACT Coalition

Just the FACTs: August 5, 2016

August 10, 2016

It’s no secret, secret shell companies are dangerous. A report by FACT member Global Witness in early July showed us how these companies are being used to defraud the federal government and put our armed forces at risk. This week, a new report from another FACT member, Fair Share Education Fund, exposed connections to shell companies and the opioid epidemic. The report, “Anonymity Overdose”, explains how ending the use of anonymous shell companies could make it significantly harder to keep drug profits hidden from law enforcement.

Likewise, shell companies are often used to launder illicit money through real estate. A geographic targeting order from the Treasury Department began collecting information on high risk purchases in two of the biggest U.S. housing markets back in March. According to an article in The New York Times, more than a quarter of the all-cash luxury home purchases made using shell companies in Manhattan and Miami were flagged as suspicious. The Treasury Department will now expand the program to other major housing markets across the country.

Banks Join the Call to End Anonymous Companies

August 10, 2016

This week, The Clearing House Association, a major trade association for U.S. commercial banks, endorsed legislation requiring the collection of information about the real owners of U.S. companies (S. 2489/H.R. 4450). The Clearing House Association is the oldest banking association in the U.S., and it advocates on behalf of the largest U.S. commercial banks, such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo and SunTrust, just to name a few.

Their letter states, “We believe the bill would assist public sector efforts to identify money laundering and terrorist financing through the disclosure of the beneficial owners of corporations. In addition, the legislation would bring the United States further in line with international AML/CFT expectations, such as the recommendations developed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). We can see no justification for allowing corporations to shield their ownership.”

New York Times Letter: Real Estate Transparency

January 19, 2016

In a New York Times letter, FACT’s Clark Gascoigne writes that Treasury’s plan falls short of what’s needed to combat the financial system’s role as a money-laundering haven.
To the Editor:

Re “Property Sales Get U.S. Scrutiny” (front page, Jan. 14):

The Treasury Department’s plan to scrutinize the secret companies buying real estate in New York and Miami is a welcome first step toward cleaning up parts of the real estate market, but it falls far short of what’s truly needed to combat the United States financial system’s role as a major money-laundering haven.

FACT Welcomes Bill to Curb Money Laundering and Terror Financing

December 15, 2015

“Holding Individuals Accountable and Deterring Money Laundering Act” Will Help Return Rule of Law to U.S. Financial System; Bring America in Line with International Standards
WASHINGTON, DC – The FACT (Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency) Coalition welcomed the introduction of legislation to improve anti-money laundering and counter-terror finance safeguards while heightening the accountability of financial institutions. Sponsored by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Holding Individuals Accountable and Deterring Money Laundering Act [H.R. 4242] targets the individuals (or enablers) at financial institutions responsible for accepting suspect funds, while aligning the United States with a number of international anti-money laundering (AML) standards.

FACT’s Clark Gascoigne on HuffPost Live: U.S. a Major Money Laundering Capital

November 14, 2015

FACT’s Clark Gascoigne Discusses the U.S. Ranking as the 3rd Biggest Secrecy Jurisdiction in the Latest Financial Secrecy Index
Clark Gascoigne, the Deputy Director of the FACT Coalition, appeared on Mind Your Business with Alyona Minkovski, a weekly business program on HuffPost Live, on Friday, November 13, 2015. He discussed how the United States facilitates all sorts of financial crime with widespread financial opacity.