Investigative journalism has often acted as the
lantern carried into the dark corridors of power. Yet the same instrument
capable of illuminating truth can also be manipulated by those seeking
influence over politics, finance, and public opinion.
In a world where the media has so much power to change
people's minds about politics, business, and global finance, it seems like
there are some who would use this power to their own benefit. Some people have
been found to be using journalists as pawns to spread false information in
order to try to control public opinion for political reasons or to make money.
Bradley Birkenfeld, a former UBS executive, was one
of these people.¹ He is well-known now because he admitted that he helped many
wealthy clients hide money in offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes.² His
actions were not only against the law, but they also showed that he didn't care
about how the law protects taxpayer money.³
These revelations, which led to a big investigation
by American authorities, showed that Birkenfeld was not the only one who worked
with offshore companies and tried to avoid paying taxes.⁴
References
¹ Walter Hamilton and Stuart Pfeifer, “IRS Awards
UBS Whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld $104 Million,” Los Angeles Times,
September 11, 2012.
² Bradley C. Birkenfeld, Lucifer’s Banker: The
Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy (Austin: Greenleaf Book
Group Press, 2016).
³ U.S. Department of Justice, Deferred
Prosecution Agreement: United States v. UBS AG, Case No. 09-CR-60033 (S.D. Florida,
2009).
⁴ U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations, Tax Haven Banks and U.S. Tax Compliance, Hearing before
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, July 17, 2008.
Primary
Source Documents
U.S. Department of Justice
- United
States v. UBS AG
(Deferred Prosecution Agreement, 2009).
U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations
- Tax
Haven Banks and U.S. Tax Compliance (2008 Senate Hearing).
Internal Revenue Service
- IRS
Whistleblower Office, IRS Whistleblower Program Annual Report to
Congress (2012).
Bibliography
Birkenfeld, Bradley C. Lucifer’s Banker: The
Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy. Austin: Greenleaf Book
Group Press, 2016.
Hamilton, Walter, and Stuart Pfeifer. “IRS Awards
UBS Whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld $104 Million.” Los Angeles Times,
September 11, 2012.
U.S. Department of Justice. Deferred Prosecution
Agreement: United States v. UBS AG. United States District Court, Southern
District of Florida, 2009.
U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations. Tax Haven Banks and U.S. Tax Compliance. Hearing before
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, 2008.
Zucman, Gabriel. The Hidden Wealth of Nations:
The Scourge of Tax Havens. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015.
