Financial Transparency Coalition

WASHINGTON, DC – In the wake of recent money laundering compliance failures at major U.S. and international banks, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is currently scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday, March 7, 2013 entitled, “Patterns of Abuse: Assessing Bank Secrecy Act Compliance and Enforcement.” Heather Lowe, Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy organization, issued the following statement in advance of the hearing.

WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) Managing Director Tom Cardamone will testify tomorrow before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the global security implications of poaching in Africa, explaining how the opaque structures in the international financial system—particularly anonymous American shell companies—facilitate illicit wildlife trafficking, drug smuggling, arms dealing and even terrorist financing.

WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) today joined several other civil society organizations encouraging U.S. Senators to support the offshore tax evasion amendment (S.A. 1818) to the highway reauthorization bill. The amendment, sponsored by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), is expected to come up for a vote this evening.

WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) today applauded the introduction of a bill, which would close several major tax loopholes and curtail abusive tax haven secrecy. The Cut Unjustified Tax (CUT) Loopholes Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), contains several provisions to permanently close offshore tax loopholes, raise revenue, and increase transparency and accountability for multinational enterprises.