Taskforce on a Transatlantic Response to Illicit Finance
TARIF aimed to strengthen global democracy by identifying viable ways in which the UK and US can combine efforts in tackling illicit finance.
In both London and Washington, the focus on tackling illicit finance is intensifying. The Biden administration has identified the response to illicit finance, corruption and kleptocratic behaviour as a priority. And in the UK, the government’s Integrated Review promised to reinvigorate efforts to tackle illicit finance, noting that this was an area in which the UK could bolster its relationship with the US. But how these commitments will translate into action remains unclear.
In June 2021 RUSI’s Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies established a ‘Track 2’, non-government Taskforce on a Transatlantic Response to Illicit Finance (TARIF), to run for 12 months. It will provide much-needed and urgent input into the policy debate at this crucial time.
Aims and objectives
A group of experts and practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic examined the illicit finance threats affecting the UK and US and the broader international community, and considered the tools and responses that a transatlantic partnership could facilitate. They analysed a range of topics, including: the financial architecture of the UK and US and its impact on the international community; responses to the financial dimension of hostile state activity; improving collaboration with affected international partners; future illicit finance threats; and the role of FinTech and decentralised finance.
TARIF synthesised findings into policy briefs and recommendations. RUSI also produced a range of public events and multimedia activities to highlight key issues that complemented the Taskforce’s goals. Ultimately, TARIF aimed to identify new pathways for transatlantic collaboration in tackling global illicit finance, and therefore to strengthen democratic governance.
Project outputs
Access key publications produced as part of this project.
Taskforce members*
Melissa Aten, Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for Democracy
Elise Bean
Former Staff Director & Chief Counsel US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Dr Katie Benson
Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Oliver Bullough
Author and journalist
Creon Butler
Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House
Isabella Chase
Associate Fellow; Former CFCS Senior Research Fellow, RUSI
Alison Clew
Independent Director, Sigma Ratings; former global head of AML Compliance, Citigroup
Liz David-Barrett, Director, Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex
Elaine Dezenski, Chief Growth Officer, Blank Slate Technologies and Senior Advisor, Center on Economic and Financial Power, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Gretta Fenner
Managing Director, Basel Institute on Governance
Suzannah Fitzgerald
ACC Coordinator, Transparency International
Julia Friedlander
C. Boyden Gray Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Atlantic Council
Lord Garnier QC
Duncan Hames
Transparency International UK, Director of Policy
Gary Kalman
Director of Transparency International's U.S. Office
Tom Keatinge
Director, CFS
Centre for Finance and Security
Nick Lewis OBE
RUSI Associate Fellow
Edward Lucas, journalist and writer
Nick J. Maxwell
Associate Fellow; Director, NJM Research Ltd
Casey Michel
Adjunct Fellow, Hudson Institute Kleptocracy Initiative
Dr Maria Nizzero
Research Fellow
Centre for Finance and Security
Chip Poncy
Global Co-Head, K2 Integrity Financial Crimes Risk Management
Alanna Putze
Senior Corporate Partnership Manager
Business Development
Ari Redbord
Head of Legal and Government Affairs, TRM Labs
Matthew Redhead
Senior Associate Fellow; Financial crime consultant and researcher
Gemma Rogers
Associate Fellow; Co-Founder, FINTRAIL Ltd
Denisse Rudich
Associate Fellow; Founder and Executive Director, Rudich Advisory
Josh Rudolph
Fellow for Malign Finance, Alliance for Securing Democracy, German Marshall Fund
Moyara Ruehsen
Professor and Director, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Financial Crime Management Program
Sarah Runge, Global Head of Regulatory Strategy, Credit Suisse
Nate Sibley, Hudson Institute, Research Fellow
Adam M. Smith, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Patricia Sullivan
Deutsche Bank, Head of Financial Crime Business Controls and Oversight
Trevor Sutton, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Sam Tate, Partner, RPC LLP
Ben Trim, HSBC, Head of Group Financial Crime Public Policy
Dr Jodi Vittori
Associate Fellow; Research and Policy Manager, Defence and Security Programme, Transparency International
Sir Rob Wainwright KCMG
Distinguished Fellow
Josh White, Stripe, Global Sanctions Lead
Juan Zarate
Chairman, Centre on Economic and Financial Power, FDD; and Global Co-Managing Partner, K2 Integrity
* This is not an all-inclusive list of taskforce members
