Welcome back!
It feels odd, on the day of a momentous U.S. election (the result of which promises to reverberate around the world), to write a newsletter that includes no specific news about the U.S. election.
We’re sometimes asked why we don’t cover more political news or events, and the answer is simple: there are already thousands of amazing journalists providing comprehensive coverage (and we’d encourage you to support your local news outlet so that their coverage may long continue). ICIJ’s mission is to stay above the fray, to remain focused on investigating issues that may not otherwise receive so much attention, to uncover the injustices that might otherwise remain hidden, and give voice to those whose stories might not otherwise be heard.
Naturally, we stay abreast of the news (as regular readers of this newsletter will know) and will be watching with great interest to bring you any stories that might go unreported or any updates to our investigative work. We’re also working on new pieces for the coming weeks and months that will take you deep into our investigations, and reveal the true impact that good journalism can have. Stay tuned!
Now for this week’s stories from ICIJ:
TARGETING SMALL PAYMENTS
Just weeks after our FinCEN Files investigation, U.S. financial crime watchdog FinCEN wants to slash the value of transactions that banks and other financial institutions must report as potentially suspicious from $3,000 to $250, citing small payments used to plan terrorist attacks and to import deadly drugs.
GOLDMAN SACHS DEAL
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced a landmark settlement with banking giant Goldman Sachs over its participation in a massive bribery scheme that syphoned hundreds of millions from Malaysian public coffers. Experts told us that while the deal bore all the hallmarks of prosecutorial timidity, the indictment of two banking executives makes the case unusual.
THREATENING JOURNALISTS
Lawyers are using frivolous legal threats as a key tool to intimidate journalists investigating financial crimes, according to a new report released by a British think tank that also highlights the trolling, violence and harassment that reporters often face while uncovering corruption.
PRESS FREEDOM VIOLATION
The jailing of Benin investigative journalist and ICIJ partner Ignace Sossou violated international laws, a United Nations body has found. The reporter spent six months in prison for tweeting about an official speech.
SECRECY PREVAILS
Southeast Asian countries are lagging behind in the adoption of registries with information on companies’ true owners, a tool deemed crucial to fight corruption, money laundering and terrorism financing, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
BEHIND THE SCENES
In a special edition of our Meet the Investigators series, three ICIJ reporters take us behind the scenes of the FinCEN Files investigation, revealing what it was like to work on the cache of confidential files and how reporters methodically searched the data for the stories buried within.
Thanks for reading!
Hamish Boland-Rudder
ICIJ's online editor
P.S. If you've enjoyed our coverage this week, remember to tell your friends and family and share our work on social media. Send them an email now!
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