Reported by C-SPAN

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, held a hearing on allegations of Russia evading sanctions through money laundering in Swiss banks. One of the witnesses was financier Bill Browder, who did business in Russia before being barred from the country in 2005 for taking on corruption in Russian state-owned companies. Amid U.S. sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Browder said, “the Swiss government wants to be seen to be doing something, but, when it comes to reality…there’s such a lot of money to be made off of dirty Russian money in Switzerland.” Also, he called for the Treasury and State departments to sanction specific Swiss officials responsible for unfreezing Russian money in relation to the murder of Sergei Magnitsky. The 2012 Magnitsky Act is named after him, who was a Russian tax adviser believed to have been murdered by Russian officials for exposing corruption.

For video or full text of discussion, go to https://www.c-span.org/video/?529391-1/lawmakers-discuss-russian-sanctions-money-laundering