In their last week in office, the Trump administration issued Dan Gertler, accused of corruption in DR Congo, permission to ban all business and action otherwise sanctioned by sanctions against him.
In their last week in office, the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump lifted sanctions against Israeli mining magistrate Dan Gertler who has been charged with alleged corruption in a Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), under a license issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The permit, which has not been publicly announced, was granted by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), according to a Jan. 15 letter to Gertler’s lawyers obtained by the Sentry, a Washington-based anti-corruption group DC, and seen by Reuters news agency.
It was unclear why the permission was granted. A commentator for Gertler welcomed the move, but protesters opposed urging Finance Department President Joe Biden to rescind.
The Finance Department said Biden’s administration was aware of the act, but declined to comment on whether to move to remove it.
The Treasury imposed the sanctions in December 2017 and June 2018, accusing Gertler of using his relationship with former DRC President Joseph Kabila to secure boyfriend’s mining contracts worth more than a billion dollars.
The sanctions barred Gertler from doing business with U.S. citizens, companies, or banks, effectively preventing him from doing business in dollars.
Gertler has always denied being wrong and argued that his investments in DRC contributed greatly to the development of the country.
While the license does not remove Gertler, a partner and more than 30 of its companies from the sanctions list, it does allow, until January 31, 2022, “all business and activity” prohibited with sanctions against them.
It also requires them to submit detailed reports to OFAC every 90 days on their financial activities.
“Mr. Gertler is grateful to OFAC for granting a license that will enable it to operate its businesses and philanthropic activities,” that said in a statement.
“It welcomes the reporting requirements and, overseeing a distinguished compliance team, looks forward to demonstrating that all of its activity is in full compliance with the letter and spirit of approval. OFAC and the law. “
Brad Brooks-Rubin, Managing Director of Sentry and a former Treasury official, said in a statement that the permit “did not serve” a geostrategic or identifiable national security purpose. “
“Unlike the open pardons and regulatory changes, or any of the Treasury’s usual methods of lifting sanctions, this has been done behind closed doors, not by -only to the public but also to many government professionals, “he said.
The Sentry called on the Biden Treasury department to withdraw the permit.
One of the lawyers who lobbied OFAC on behalf of Gertler was Alan Dershowitz, who represented Trump in his first impeachment trial before the Senate last year, according to a publication form sent to to be submitted by Congress in 2018.
Dershowitz did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.