Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a leading voice in Washington in the fight against kleptocracy and foreign corruption, welcomed the Biden White House’s first-ever United States Strategy on Countering Corruption, which was unveiled on Monday:
“The United States is engaged in an escalating clash of civilizations between rule-of-law nations and those governed by kleptocrats and criminals. Corrupt adversaries pillage their own people to enrich themselves, and scheme to undermine democracy whenever they can. But they also rely on the protection of our rule of law to hide their ill-gotten loot. How we respond in this clash will determine our national security, the success of the rule of law, and America’s place of leadership in the world for the foreseeable future.
“That’s why the White House strategy is so important. It sets a solid framework for American leadership in the battle against kleptocracy and corruption, with particular focus on curbing illicit finance and on cooperation among our partners to strengthen democracy’s collective hand. I have been working across the aisle to harden our defenses against these threats, and it’s encouraging to see the Biden White House join us.”
Senator Whitehouse is a recognized leader in the fight against kleptocracy and international corruption. He is the Chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (or the Helsinki Commission). He was a lead author of the groundbreaking 2020 law to collect beneficial ownership information to aid U.S. law enforcement in cracking down on money laundering. He has also authored a range of bills to combat international corruption and illicit finance, including the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act signed into law last year to fight corruption in international sport.
The new strategy organizes U.S. government efforts to fight corruption under five pillars:
- Curbing illicit finance, including clamping down on money laundering and other methods for hiding illicit funds in rule-of-law nations.
- Modernizing, coordinating, and resourcing U.S. Government efforts to fight corruption.
- Holding corrupt actors accountable.
- Preserving and strengthening the multilateral anti-corruption architecture.
- Improving diplomatic engagement and leveraging foreign assistance resources to achieve anti-corruption policy goals.
Rich Davidson (202) 228-6291 (press office)
