There’s no better way to show U.S. support for Ukraine than by doing the hard, long-term work here at home to make sure the strength of the U.S. economy doesn’t benefit Putin and his cronies abroad.
Congress unveiled its long-negotiated omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2023, which includes $190.2 million for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The FACT Coalition applauds the inclusion of $52 million in emergency funds for the U.S. Treasury Department as part of the appropriations package passed today by the U.S. Senate. Today’s vote sends the larger $40 billion Ukraine aid package to the President’s desk to sign into law, and will assist Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion.
Today, Sens. Whitehouse (D-RI) and Grassley (R-IA), published a letter signed by 23 bipartisan Senators addressed to congressional appropriators to urge increased funding for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition is calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to address the undisclosed presence of possible illicit financial flows in private investment markets. Without further action from the SEC, these flows may enrich and embolden potential adversaries, such as Putin’s regime, and eventually destabilize U.S. and global financial markets. Meanwhile, the failure to identify these flows undermines current sanctions against Russian oligarchs, and may jeopardize future tools that the U.S. might wield against aggressive governments.
Reforms advocated for by FACT, including those pertaining to beneficial ownership of anonymous shell entities, removing opacity from the U.S. real estate, private investment, and other luxury goods markets, and promoting greater tax transparency can bring the economic weight of new sanctions to bear. The U.S. must work expediently with its allies to permanently close financial gateways for Russia’s political elite to hide and grow their illicit wealth.
