An article I wrote on Treasury's  role during the Obama administration of supporting Iranian terror by way of facilitating a $1.7 billion payment to the Iranian mullahs as part of the "Iran Deal" or JCPOA and other regrettable actions was published recently in the American Thinker:
  www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/01/treasurys_role_in_financing_iranian_terror.html

I have long been an admirer of Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington D.C. based non-profit.  GFI produces high-caliber analyses of illicit financial flows, advises developing country governments on effective policy solutions, and promotes pragmatic transparency measures in the international financial system as a means to global development and security.  I greatly admire Raynond Baker, GFI's founder and President.  And I have had the pleasure to work with members of GFI's  incredible staff on a variety of projects.   Recently, I was asked to be on GFI's Board of Directors.  I'm thrilled!   I will do everything I can to support GFI's mission.  If you are not familiar with GFI, I encourage you to visit GFI's website and and review some of their terrific reports on illicit financial flows and related topics:  www.gfintegrity.org

On September 20, a very good investigative article published in Real Deal Miami discusses suspect South Florida real estate deals and financial intelligence reporting obligations (and lack thereof) for those involved.  I'm quoted.  The powerful and wealthy real estate lobby has thus far successfully kept realtors from reporting suspicious transactions.  How much longer will this go on?    Here is the link to the article:
therealdeal.com/miami/issues_articles/see-no-evil-how-a-culture-of-secrecy-boosts-south-floridas-condo-market/

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by Vice Media working with Netflix to go out to Hollywood as part of promotion for the Netflix series Ozark.  It's about money laundering.   I had a lot of fun filming the 90 minute interview.  It was filmed in an old motel outside of Pasadena that kind of looked like it might be located in the Ozarks.  Per their request,  I gave them a tutorial on money laundering.  It was edited down to 3 minutes!   Here is the clip:
www.vice.com/en_us/partners/netflix-ozark/dirty-money

I try to stay away from politcics in my writing.  But in 2016 I was so concerned about what I saw happening in the Department of Treasury that I penned an article about its politicization.  Even though I did not use names in the article, I know it  caused some heated discussion among my former colleagues.  Here is the link to the article.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/10/deft_diplomacy_results_in_the_politicization_of_the_treasury_department.html

Well, this article came out over the weekend:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/06/08/marc-thiessen-obama-took-lying-to-new-heights-with-iran-deal.html

The politicization can now be described as criminal.  Some of those former Treasury officials should be worried about perjury charges.  I could easily write another article now referencing both.  I'm not going to do it but this whole episode does not reflect well on the upper echelon of Treasury at the time.

Yesterday, an article I wrote about the near futility of our AML efforts was published in Politico.  Here is the link:
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/27/paul-manafort-was-stupid-or-unlucky-most-money-launderers-get-away-with-it-217090

The editor asked me to use the recent indictment of Paul Manafort on money laundering and other charges as the hook for the article.  So I used that as the opening and then did a riff on my November, 2017 testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee explaining that by examining the metrics that matter - forfeitures and convictions - our AML efforts are "a decimal point away from failure."  Certainly there are cases being made and law enforcement, regulators, compliance officers and many others deserve plenty of credit for the wonderful work they are doing under sometimes trying circumstances.  It is just if we examine the magnitude of global money laundering, our efforts can only be described as failing.  But what is the alternative?   I'm writing a new book on the issue.  What are your thoughts?  What countermeasures do you think might be effective?

The Miami Herald just released a four part series on "Dirty Gold and Clean Cash - A River of Gold Controlled by Drug Lords Runs Through Miami."  It is outstanding reading and is a great example of investigative reporting.  It focuses on the misuse of the international gold trade and how it is abused to launder staggering amounts of illicit proceeds around the world.  I have been concerned about this issue since the early 1990's.  The article also exposes the environmental and human costs associated with horrid mining practices in parts of the developing world.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article194362569.html

Happy 2018!    The start of a new year  is a good time to remember and be thankful for all of the blessings and graces we have received.  It is also a suitable occasion to plan and organize.  I've been thinking a lot about writing another book.  My inspiration comes from two related works of mine that were released in 2017.  The first is the paper I wrote published by the FACT Coalition in August, "Countering International Monney Laundering - Total Failure is 'Only a Decimal Point Away.'  The other is my closely related December testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that argues that we need to shift the AML paradigm.  (See this website under Articles for links to both).  I plan to expand those thoughts into a book.   I've already outlined it and organized my thoughts.  Now I just have to sit down and begin to write.  Fortunately, I've got much of the material.   I'm confident I can get the book out in 2018.  Good luck with your 2018 plans.  Let me know what you are up to.   All the best!   John