Journalism Overthrows: The “Exposés” Of All Time

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.

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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.