The Department of Justice still hasn’t implemented procedures for dealing with anonymous and confidential whistleblowers who report violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, despite being legally required to do so since 2021.
Since January 1, 2021 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been required, as a matter of law, to accept anonymous and confidential whistleblower disclosures concerning violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, including illegal money laundering and the use of crypto currency exchanges to facilitate violations of law.
In December 2022, this requirement was by law extended to whistleblowers, worldwide, who wish to report violations of sanctions covering Russia, Hamas, ISIS, and other covered entities.
In contempt of its legal requirements the Justice Department has ignored this law, and has failed to adopt regulations permitting anonymous whistleblowing. Congress did its job, Justice has dropped the ball. Congress must demand that the Attorney General fully implement the United States Anti-corruption Strategy as a critical national security measure. Ask Congress to contact the Department of Justice to remind them of their obligations to fully implement the law. We know that whistleblowers can be the best asset to the fight against corruption when given the proper protections and incentives, but they — and by extension, our democracy — are vulnerable when these protections are eroded.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org.Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Click here to donate Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019. NWC’s mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.
In 2022, Congress passed the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Whistleblower Improvement Act in December 2022. The law establishes a whistleblower award program for individuals who report money laundering and sanctions violations and is the most important anti-corruption law passed in decades.
Money laundering is intimately tied to corruption around the globe. Because the AML Whistleblower Program has a transnational reach, violations can occur anywhere and whistleblowers do not need to be U.S. citizens to qualify for awards, it is uniquely positioned to help U.S. authorities tackle corruption overseas, including the most pressing national security crises like the war between Hamas and Israel, the war between Russia and Ukraine, terrorist financing, and drug trafficking. It is vital that FinCEN implement its whistleblower program quickly and that its regulations fulfill the mandate in the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption.
However, despite the urgent nature of this issue, the U.S. Treasury Department and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) have yet to implement the AML Whistleblower program, nor regulations for the AML Whistleblower Improvement Act.
Contact your legislators and urge them to please DEMAND that FinCEN consider the following in order to maximize the law’s anti-corruption potential:
I. Ensure that the process for qualifying as a whistleblower aligns with U.S. anti-corruption priorities. a. Allow whistleblowers identified in case investigations to be eligible for rewards, rather than by mandating technical form requirements for whistleblower reward eligibility. b. Maintain the SEC’s “Three Conditions” for qualifying as a whistleblower, but expand the definition of “Voluntary” to its standard definition. c. Ensure that critical whistleblowers have the right to make use of the AML Whistleblower Program.
II. Protect Whistleblowers. a. Secure the Confidentiality & Anonymity of AML whistleblowers in ALL ongoing Federal investigations involving their disclosers. b. Establish Consistent Inter-Agency Protocol with respect to Whistleblowers who have participated in crime. c. Do not Incentivize – and absolutely do not require – Internal Reporting prior to filing AML claims with FinCEN, but ensure that those who file internally first maintain award eligibility.
III. Ensure that whistleblowers are fully compensated in a timely manner. a. Give full force to related action provisions. b. Do NOT place a cap on whistleblower rewards. c. Establish and abide by a strict deadline for paying awards.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org.Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Click here to donate Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019. NWC’s mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.
Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | October 6, 2023
Candidates for Jefferson Parish Councilman for the 2023 elections are being scrutinized under the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes liability on those who defraud governmental programs. It is the federal government’s primary litigation tool in combating fraud against the government.
According to an analysis of federal data by Motion to Quash LLC, Councilmembers Jennifer Van Vrancken and Ricky Templet received over a half million dollars from over 350 entities that made political contributions just before or after receiving more than $73 million dollars of taxpayer backed SBA loans. In both instances, candidates received large donations after companies they controlled, or companies owned by family members, obtained loans. Frankie Hayers, the only other candidate, financed his own campaign.
Balcony Enterprises Inc, a family owned enterprise, received a total of $365,491 from the SBA. Afterward, The Balcony Ballroom issued a political contribution to Jennifer Van Vrancken in the amount of $5,000.
Hearing Health Care of Louisiana Inc, owned by family member Ryan Templet, received $186,812 from the Paycheck Protection Program. After receiving the taxpayer backed funds, Ryan Templet issued $5000 to Ricky Templet’s political campaign.
These funds were meant for struggling businesses. Generous campaign contributions just before or after receiving disaster assistance raises concerns about the legitimacy of their need for assistance. “It suggests the entities misled the SBA to obtain government funds and should be required to repay the taxpayers. Fraud schemes such as this are the costliest for the taxpayers.” a spokesperson for the agency said.
Most Egregious Abuses of the PPP
Two of the most egregious abuses of the Paycheck Protection Program, according to the analysis, were Adams & Reese Law Firm and Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC.
Adams and Reese Law Firm received $9.2 million dollars from the taxpayer backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Subsequently, Adams and Reese and ARPAC issued nearly $800,000 in political contributions, including over $100,000 paid to its own Political Action Committee.
Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC received $8.8 million dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program before issuing over $600,000 to political campaigns, including $100,000 to the Republican Party and $100,000 to Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators Inc.
Recouping Stolen Pandemic Loan Funds
Motion to Quash is a powerful representation of the fight against corruption in Jefferson Parish, with the Anti Corruption Scorecard serving as a reminder of the importance of transparency and honesty in our political system. The scorecards are sufficient to provide accurate, reliable and sound judgment of campaign finance abuse, particularly for those interested in the 2023 Elections and the stand against corruption.
Contributions alone are not enough for an investigation. However, generous campaign contributions and confidential disclosures submitted to the Inspector General are enough evidence to lead to criminal prosecutions.
“When the pandemic started, the SBA took on an outsized role in restarting our nation’s economy. The PPP and EIDL programs were vital to saving small businesses, but that fact does not excuse $200 billion in fraud,” explained Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX). “It’s a top priority of this Committee to recoup these stolen funds, and yesterday’s hearing looked at new, innovative private sector solutions to do just that. I’m very grateful for our four witnesses, and we’ll continue our work on holding these fraudsters accountable.”
Click the link to read the Statement of Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice before the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis concerning “Examining Federal Efforts To Prevent, Detect, And Prosecute Pandemic Relief Fraud To Safeguard Funds For All Eligible Americans”
Campaign finance reports were obtained from the Louisiana Ethics Board website. Disaster Recipient Profiles were found at usaspending.gov.
Methodology
For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:
Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
Campaign contributions received (5 points)
Disclosures/conflicts of interest (5 points)
Only when candidates scored 15 for the whole package did they score 100 percent.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback. If you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org.Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Click here to donate Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019. NWC’s mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.
Louisiana State Representatives are being scrutinized under the False Claims Act for receiving payments from over 100 entities that received over $200 million dollars in taxpayer backed Disaster Assistance, according to an analysis of federal government data by Motion to Quash LLC.
The investigation of loan fraud by PPP loan recipients and Louisiana lawmakers is alarming. Businesses issued large political donations after receiving taxpayer backed pandemic loans, raising concerns about the legitimacy of their need for assistance. “Loan recipients who issued campaign contributions after receiving their awards should be required to repay the loans,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “Fraud schemes such as this are the costliest for the taxpayers.”
Motion to Quash is a powerful representation of the fight against corruption in Jefferson Parish, with the State Representative Anti Corruption Scorecard serving as a reminder of the importance of transparency and honesty in our political system. The scorecards are sufficient to provide accurate, reliable and sound judgment of campaign finance abuse, particularly for those interested in the 2023 Elections and the stand against corruption.
Campaign finance reports were obtained from the Louisiana Ethics Board website. Disaster Relief Profiles were found at usaspending.gov.
Of the 21 candidates for State Representative on the Jefferson Parish sample ballot, 6 scored A+ (28.6%), 1 scored B+ (4.8%), 1 scored B- (4.8%), 2 scored C (9.5%), 8 scored D (38.1%), and 3 scored F (14.3%)
Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)
From the time period 2020 to the present, candidates received a grand total of contributions over $1.4 million dollars including a sum of over $600,000 from pharmaceuticals, gaming interests, government contractors, and PPP disaster recipients. By far the most frequent recipient is Timothy Kerner Sr.
Methodology
For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:
Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
Campaign contributions received (5 points)
Disclosures/conflicts of interest (5 points)
Only when candidates scored 15 for the whole package did they score 100 percent.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback. If you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center, Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Click here to donate Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC.
Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | August 27, 2023
Use of political campaign funds has been of great interest lately among Louisiana voters and members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics. The Motion to Quash scorecards are sufficient to provide accurate, reliable and sound judgment of campaign finance abuse. Motion to Quash identifies quid pro quo by compiling and analyzing campaign contribution data and through its understanding of the electoral and public policy-making process.
Anti Corruption Scorecard for Jefferson Parish State Senator Candidates
Of the 9 candidates for State Senator on the Jefferson Parish sample ballot, 2 scored A+ (22.2%), 1 scored B- (11.1%), 5 scored C (55.6%), and 1 scored F (11.1%).
Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)
Candidates received a sum of $225,670 from pharmaceuticals, gaming interests, and government contractors. The most frequent recipients are Kirk Talbot and Timothy Kerner.
Methodology
For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:
Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
Campaign contributions received (5 points)
Disclosures/conflicts of interest (5 points)
Only when candidates scored 15 for the whole package did they score 100 percent.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback. If you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center, Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the American Money Laundering Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by donating today. Click here to donate. The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) is the leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting and rewarding whistleblowers around the world.
Join us for our 10th Anniversary Event on July 27th
Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | May 30, 2023
I’m so grateful to be recognized, again, by the National Whistleblower Center! I remain committed to advocating for whistleblowers and spreading public awareness about the adversity we face.
On behalf of Motion to Quash LLC, I would like to extend a warm invitation to you for this year’s 10th Anniversary National Whistleblower Day event July 27th on Capitol Hill. The success of our past NWD events was dependent upon the support of people like you. We hope you will join us again this year for our celebration, which will include a live panel of whistleblowers, a speech from whistleblower supporter Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and a discussion from National Whistleblower Center founder Stephen Kohn.
This live, in-person event on July 27th will honor the contributions of whistleblowers to our nation, and the storied history of whistleblowing in the U.S.
Hope to see you there! We can’t celebrate without you! Seats to this event are limited, so please R.S.V.P. HERE
The National Whistleblower Day campaign aims to make National Whistleblower Day permanent by urging President Biden to sign an Executive Order mandating that all federal agencies recognize July 30th as National Whistleblower Day. For more information and ways you can support the campaign, please visit:
National Whistleblower Day 2023 on Capitol Hill Why We Celebrate National Whistleblower Day
The history of National Whistleblower Day dates back to the founding days of our nation. On July 30th 1778, The U.S. Continental Congress passed America’s first whistleblower law during the height of the American Revolution. To honor this history and the foundational nature of of whistleblowing in America, we celebrate National Whistleblower Day every year on July 30th.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) signed the first National Whistleblower Day 10 years ago.Since then, NWC has supported an incredible group of whistleblowers and their bi-partisan allies in Congress to continue the NWD tradition.
In recognition of the sacrifices of whistleblowers, and in honor of the crucial contributions that whistleblowers have made to our democracy, Motion to Quash LLC stands with NWC wholeheartedly alongside the whistleblowers. We’re calling on both chambers of Congress and President Biden to permanently designate July 30 as National Whistleblower Day in the U.S. This is the single most important action the Federal Government can take to acknowledge the importance of whistleblowing and combating the culture of retaliation against whistleblowers. To learn more about these critical efforts to make National Whistleblower Day permanent, visit:
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.
Welcome to this year’s National Whistleblower Day celebration. This year we’re celebrating online, again, with the NWC, and will have many opportunities to interact.
We’re proud to announce that the House Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds will kick off our event!
The Office is an independent and nonpartisan resource dedicated to serving the U.S. House of Representatives. It advises members of Congress on best practices for working with whistleblowers from the public and private sectors. It also offers resources to educate whistleblowers regarding our rights and options for reporting wrongdoing.
Indeed, Motion to Quash LLC is very familiar with this Office and so honored that they will present their work with Staff Directors Tim Monahan, and Jamie Fleet.
We often contact Congress directly about our concerns and this is your chance to learn how professional whistleblower advocates help prepare your legislators to work with whistleblowers. Your tax dollars are at work, and we invite you to RSVP for our free event to get updates. After that, participate in our Q&A on July 28th, at 2:30 PM EST
Emphatically, Motion to Quash LLC is committed to advocating for whistleblowers and spreading public awareness about the adversity whistleblowers face—to continue with this mission, we need your support. Encourage your friends to RSVP today.
Please ask Congress , as soon as possible, to make National Whistleblower Day a Federal Day of Observance.
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.
Motion to Quash LLC investigated long standing campaign finance abuse in Jefferson Parish to create the scorecards for this election.
We created a comprehensive list of campaign contributions for the candidates. The campaign contributions were totaled on the time period from March 6, 2007- to March 6, 2022. The grand total was $3,631,929.
Loans, contractor contributions, and gaming interests were included in the totals.
Only four (22%) of the eighteen candidates scored A+ for anti-corruption, while five (28%) of the candidates scored F.
The total campaign contributions were based on the financial statements for the candidates on the Board of Ethics website.
Download the spreadsheet and click on the Grades tab to view the scorecard. Then, click on the name to view the candidate’s folder.
For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:
Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
Campaign contributions received (5 points)
Disclosures/conflicts of interest (5 points)
Only when they scored 15 for the whole package did they score 100 percent.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback. If you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by donating today. Click here to donate.
Integrity is a top issue facing Louisiana voters. Unfair business practices and long standing financial connections are breeding grounds for corruption. See how candidates score on integrity for the November 2021 Statewide/Multi-Parish Elections.
We based the candidate integrity scores on these three principles: Campaign Contributions Issued, Campaign Contributions Received, and Disclosures/Conflicts of Interest.
Click here to view the SCORECARD. You can download and print the complimentary spreadsheet. Click on the Grades Tab to view each Candidate’s folder.
METHODOLOGY
Candidates are graded on the number of critical issues for anti-corruption listed in the candidate scorecard, as divided into three overarching principles. We believe all of these issues are crucial for candidate integrity.
We assigned a total possible score of 5 for each principle. For the sake of consistency, we treat individual issues equally: calculating fewer of these critical issues gets candidates a higher score—and only when they score 15 for the whole package do they score 100 percent.
We compiled candidate information from their campaign websites, in interviews, or from public and private sources.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback—if you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.
By Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | August 22, 2021
I attended the National Whistleblower Center’s (NWC) National Whistleblower Day celebration. It was a masterclass celebration honoring the amazing contributions of whistleblowers and I’m so grateful I was recognized. It was a historic event.
Celebrating whistleblowers is not always fun, it takes determination and commitment to stand beside other whistleblowers against waste, fraud, and abuse. But after seeing the monumental support for us at this National Whistleblower Day, I know that we can stand up and speak truthfully.
Largest and Most Prestigious National Whistleblower Day Ever!
It was my privilege to represent Motion to Quash LLC on National Whistleblower Day and to help promote the event. While more than 1000 people RSVP’d for National Whistleblower Day this year, even more showed up to join the celebration! Our 2021 National Whistleblower Day celebration had nearly 10,000 people in attendance, celebrating whistleblowers. Together, we made history.
With Mistress of Ceremonies, Jan Turner, FBI Whistleblower, and more than 60 speakers making up the more than a dozen panels, this was the largest National Whistleblower Day event in history. Speakers, ranging from a wealth of whistleblowers like Kimberly Young McLear, Thomas Le Bonniec, and Allison Gill; to government leaders like Senator Charles Grassley, Secretary Marty Walsh, SEC Chair Gary Gensler, Representative Jackie Speier and Senator Tammy Duckworth; to whistleblower experts like Stephen Kohn, Taxpayers Against Fraud’s Jeb White, Project On Government Oversight’s Melissa Wasser, Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival Organizer Marcel Reid, and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid; made the program the gem of the whistleblower community this year.
Motion to Quash LLC has received an outpouring of positive feedback and invites you to stay tuned for future events. Donate today to support more great events like National Whistleblower Day. We could not have done it without you!
WILL YOU HELP WHISTLEBLOWERS?
Motion to Quash LLC attended and promoted the most successful Whistleblower Day celebration to date. We were so thrilled to be able to celebrate whistleblowers and our contributions with a global audience of whistleblower advocates.
Please consider donating to Motion to Quash LLC to support future National Whistleblower Day celebrations and our work fighting on behalf of whistleblowers. Click the button below to support our efforts!
Your donations allow us to continue to advocate, educate, and assist whistleblowers, as well as celebrate our achievements.
Thank you for your support!
Celebrating Whistleblower Victories
In addition to our unprecedented success at National Whistleblower Day, many pieces of whistleblower protection legislation were introduced recently. Motion to Quash LLC supports and is following:
The recently reintroduced Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act of 2021, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate, which, if adopted, would provide protections for federal employees, current and former, whose right to petition or furnish information to Congress is interfered with or denied. NWC, joined by POGO, TAF, and WoA, issued a letter of support for this bill on July 28. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.
The Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act of 2021 (WPIA), introduced by a bipartisan group of Representatives led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). The critical reform bill would strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees who expose wrongdoing, providing them greater legal recourses against retaliation including access to a jury trial. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.
Finally, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act of 2021, introduced by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), would ensure the integrity of our nation’s tax system by strengthening and improving the IRS Tax Whistleblower Program. NWC, joined by TAF, POGO, and GAP, issued a letter of support on June 16. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.
Motion to Quash LLC thanks and recognizes the efforts of NWC, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Sen. Charles Grassley, and Sen. Ron Wyden for introducing these important bills and their continued support for whistleblowers.
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.
Recognized by the
Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at 
