Recording: Senator Whitehouse on the Transatlantic Fight Against Illicit Finance
In recent years, efforts to tackle illicit finance have intensified in both London and Washington. Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration had identified the response to illicit finance, corruption and kleptocratic behaviour as a priority. And the events of the past year have brought into devastating focus the corrosive impact of illicit finance and the need to safeguard democracy both at home and abroad.
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the need for transatlantic leadership in the fight against illicit finance, and his perspectives on where UK–US cooperation could be strengthened. Senator Whitehouse is one of the leading voices in the US’s efforts to tackle illicit finance and has championed beneficial ownership measures to track criminals and foreign enemies hiding assets from law enforcement and tax authorities.
The discussion is moderated by Jim Fitzpatrick, openDemocracy’s ‘dirty money’ reporter.
Speakers
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Sheldon Whitehouse served as Rhode Island’s US Attorney and state attorney general before being elected to the Senate, where he serves as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Whitehouse is also a member of the Finance Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Jim Fitzpatrick: Jim Fitzpatrick is ‘dirty money’ reporter at openDemocracy. He spent more than two decades at BBC Northern Ireland, where his roles included presenting the award-winning 'Spotlight' investigations series.
