High Level Engagement
Global Financial Integrity staff have been invited to testify before Congress, the European Parliament as well as other high-level fora on numerous occasions to speak on illicit financial flows and transparency. Past engagements include:
The Explainer: How Kenya can get itself off the grey-list
February 2024
September 2023
The DC Forum held a panel discussion on September 21, 2023 which examined the topic: “Capitalism Confronting Democracy and The Challenge for the Media.” The event featured a brief video presentation titled “Perils and Promises of Democratic Capitalism” by David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize Winner, author of Free Lunch as well as remarks by Annie Boyajian, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Freedom House:Professor Larry Diamond, Stanford University; Jennifer Gould, investigative journalist at the NY Post; and, Peter Coy, Economics Writer at New York Times.
April 2023
On April 26, 2023, GFI Illicit Trade Director Channing Mavrellis testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services at the hearing titled “China in Our Backyard: How Chinese Money Laundering Organizations Enrich the Cartels.” Channing’s written testimony can be found here.
April 2023
On April 24, 2023, GFI Illicit Trade Director Channing Mavrellis testified before the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human rights on a hearing about corruption, discussing corruption- and sanction-related IFFs, outlining the importance of integrity–corporate, natural resource, trade, and professional–and providing recommendations.
March 2022
On March 4, 2022, GFI Policy Director Lakshmi Kumar testified before the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control at a hearing titled “The $150 Billion Drug Market: A Dive into the Economics of Cartels,” which examined how drug cartels have adapted their production, trafficking, and finance schemes for the 21st century. A video of the hearing can be found here: Hearing: Drug Caucus – The $150 Billion Drug Market: A Dive into the Economics of Cartels.
November 2021
GFI Illicit Trade Director Channing Mavrellis testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services’ Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy on November 4, 2021. The hearing, titled “From Timber to Tungsten: How the Exploitation of Natural Resources Funds Rogue Organizations and Regimes,” focused on the intersection of natural resources, illicit financial flows, and illicit activity by state and non-state actors. Channing’s full written testimony can be found here: Congressional Testimony: From Timber to Tungsten
June 2021
On June 16, 2021, GFI Policy Director Lakshmi Kumar testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services’ Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy at a hearing titled “Schemes and Subversion: How Bad Actors and Foreign Governments Undermine and Evade Sanctions Regimes,” which examined the tactics used by illicit state and non-state actors to evade sanctions. Lakshmi’s full written testimony can be found here: Congressional Testimony: Schemes and Subversions.