Dear Mr. Secretary.
Yesterday, the Treasury Department transmitted to Congress the Report on Oligarchs and Parastatal Entities of the Russian Federation required by Section 241 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Individuals included on this list are not automatically subject to U.S. sanctions, although a number are already. However, the report does raise the obvious question of whether others listed should be sanctioned under existing sanctions authorities-such as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Congress passed the Global Magnitsky Act in 2016 to target human rights abusers and corrupt actors globally, including in Russia. Building on the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, the act authorizes the President to impose sanctions on government officials or their associates who are responsible for, or complicit in, ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing acts of significant corruption. This includes the expropriation of private or public assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, bribery, or the facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of corruption abroad. It also targets any individual or entity who assists, sponsors, or provides financial, material, or technological support for such activities.
Similarly, the Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014, as amended, imposes sanctions on individuals or entities responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, acts of significant corruption in the Russian Federation or elsewhere, including the expropriation of private or public assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, bribery, or the facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of corruption abroad. It also targets any individual or entity who assists, sponsors, or provides financial, material, or technological support for such activities.
As you know, President Vladimir Putin relies on corruption to retain power, foster instability in the Middle East, and attempt to destabilize Western democracies-including the United States. The report required by Section 241 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act shines a light on many who have benefited from this corrupt system. I ask that the Treasury Department review the individuals and entities in this report and determine whether they should be designated under existing U.S. sanctions authorities, including those outlined above.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to continuing to work with you to target corruption in Russia and around the world.
Sincerely,
EDWARD R. ROYCE
Chairman.
