Trump guts anti-money laundering law
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The gist
Trump administration ends anti-money laundering rule requiring shell companies to report ownership. The move guts a law once hailed as the most significant anti-corruption measure in decades.
Background
The Corporate Transparency Act, passed in 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, required shell companies to disclose their true owners to the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It was introduced by then-Senator Marco Rubio, who called it 'the most significant anti-corruption & money laundering law in decades.' The rule was designed to close a gap in the U.S. financial system that Treasury itself had called its 'most significant and longstanding gap' in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. The Trump administration has now repealed this rule, effectively gutting the law.
How it unfolded
- 2020The Corporate Transparency Act was passed with bipartisan support, introduced by then-Senator Marco Rubio.
- 2023Rubio, then still a senator, pressed the Treasury Department to enforce the data collection.
- recentlyThe Trump administration ended the anti-corruption rule requiring shell companies to report ownership, following the resignation of FinCEN's head Andrea Gacki.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Republicans like Sen. Tommy Tuberville called the law 'big government overreach' and pushed for its repeal.
- Caution
- Critics argue the repeal undermines efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, leaving a significant gap in financial transparency.
Still unverified
The exact date of the repeal is not specified in the material, and the specific reasons for the resignation of FinCEN's head are not detailed.