>>> TONIGHT, I SAY TO THE
RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS AND THE
CORRUPT LEADERS WHO BUILT
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OFF THIS
VIOLENT REGIME NO MORE, THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE ASSEMBLING A DEDICATED
TASK FORCE TO GO AFTER THE
CRIMES OF THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS
WE'RE JOINING WITH EUROPEAN
ALLIES TO FIND AND SEIZE THEIR
YACHTS AND LUXURY APARTMENTS,
THEIR PRIVATE JETS.
WE'RE COMING FOR YOU ILL BE
GOTTEN GAINS.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN IS WASTING NO
TIME MAKING GOOD ON THAT
PROMISE.
NBC NEWS LEARNED ADMINISTRATION
COULD ANNOUNCE EXPANDED
SANCTIONS AGAINST VLADIMIR
PUTIN'S CRONIES AS SOON AS
TOMORROW.
IT COULD PUT PRESSURE ON THE EX
KGB OFFICER TO STAND DOWN.
TODAY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCED THE TASK FORCE BUDENID
ELUDED TO.
>> WE WILL LEAVE NO STONE URN
TURN
UNTURNED TO ARREST AND
PROSECUTE.
THOSE WHO CRIMINAL ACTS ENABLE
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO
CONTINUE THIS UNJUST WAR.
>> FOR DECADES THESE OLIGARCHS
SHELTERED EXTRA ORDINARY AND
STOLEN WEALTH OUTSIDE RUSSIA IN
SECRET ACOUNTS AND AKOUBLTCCOUNT
REAL ESTATE AND YACHTS.
THE SUMS INVOLVED ARE MIND
BOGGLING.
RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE IN 2015,
THE HIDDEN FOREIGN WEALTH OF
RICH RUSSIANS AMOUNTED TO 85% OF
RUSSIA'S GDP.
TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS AS
IF A U.S. PRESIDENT'S CRONIES
MANAGED TO HIDE $20 TRILLION IN
OVERSEAS ACCOUNTS.
WOW.
JOINING ME NOW IS A FORMER
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U.S.
MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AND THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT
AND HOST OF "OH MY WORLD" ON
YOUTUBE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK WE'RE STEALING FROM ALI
VELSHI.
IT WAS A BRILLIANT CONVERSATION.
I'M GLAD I CAN NICK YOU FROM
HIM.
YOU WERE GREAT.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS THIS,
AMBASSADOR MICHAEL McFAUL
EARLIER TODAY MADE A REALLY
SOLID POINT I THINK THAT THERE
ARE TWO KINDS OF OLIGARCHS, THE
OLIGARCHS THAT ARE IN EUROPE AND
LONDON AND OWN LOTS OF YACHTS
AND MOVING YACHTS AND RUNNING
AWAY AND THERE ARE ONES THAT OWN
LIKE THE BIG OIL, THE PEOPLE
BEHIND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I WONDER IF THESE SANCTIONS
ACTUALLY HIT THE ONES THAT
MATTER AND THE ONES WHO NEED
PUTIN.
I'LL JUST GIVE YOU EXAMPLES.
CNBC IS REPORTING OLGA GARK' OLI
MOVING YACHTS, ONE OF THEM IS
SHOPPING THE CHELSEA FOOTBALL
CLUB TO SELL IT.
ARE THOSE EVEN THE OLIGARCHS
THAT COUNT?
>> THEY ALL KIND OF COUNT IN
DIFFERENT WAYS AND I SEE WHY THE
AM BASKETBALL
AMBASSADOR IS DIVIDING THEM INTO
TWO BECAUSE HE'S TALKING ABOUT
THOSE THE FORMER LEADER CREATED
AND ONE OF PRESIDENT PUTIN'S
MAIN ARGUMENTS DURING
CAMPAIGNING AGAINST BORIS WAS
LOOK AT THE CORRUPTION HE
CREATED WHEN IT WAS HYPOCRITICAL
BECAUSE HE CREATED HIS OWN
OLIGARCHS AND CORE RUMGSRUPTION.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ALL OF THE
OLIGARCHS SUPPORT PUTIN AND
PUTIN'S REGIME AND BENEFIT
EQUALLY FROM EACH OTHER.
THEY EACH NEED THE OTHER SIDE.
WHEN YOU'RE TARGETING THE
OLIGARCHS, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
THE POSSIBILITY THEY MIGHT
CONVINCE PRESIDENT PUTIN TO STOP
THE AGGRESSION, IT'S GETTING AT
THE POSSIBILITY PRESIDENT PUTIN
MIGHT ASK THEM TO HIDE AND EVADE
HIS OWN ASSETS.
IT'S GETTING AT THE WAY THEY
PROPERTY UP PRESIDENT PUTIN
HIMSELF PERSONALLY, THE REGIME,
RUSSIA'S ECONOMY, OBVIOUSLY,
WHICH YOU ELUDED TO AND DISRUPT
DISRUPTING AND DISMANTLING ALL
OF THE KREMLIN'S FINANCIAL
NETWORKS SO THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCH
ARM OF THAT IS A KEY ASPECT OF
IT.
A BONUS WOULD BE IF THEY
CONVINCED PRESIDENT PUTIN TO
CHANGE HIS MIND.
>> HOW DO YOU FIND THE MONEY?
IS THE THING, I'M A LAYPERSON AT
THIS BUT IT SEEMS PUTIN IS GOOD AT HIDING WEALTH.
AT HIDING WEALTH.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT SAID HE'S
A TRILLION NAR..
THE GAS GUYS WE WANT TO GET AT
ARE ALSO HIDING MONEY.
HOW DO WE FIND IT?
>> WELL, IT TYPICAL FOR THESE
TYPES OF LEADERS AND OLIGARCHS
TO CREATE THESE KIND OF VERY
COMPLICATED OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES
TO HIDE THEIR WEALTH, TO CONTROL
BANK ACCOUNTS ORBITZ OR THE
BENEFICIAL OWNER AND ULTIMATELY,
THE GOVERNMENT'S TREASURY
DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE EUROPEANS AND OTHERS HUNT
AND FIND THOSE ASSETS SO THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT HAS ITS OWN
INTELLIGENCE SHOP.
IN FACT, IT'S THE ONLY FINANCE
MINISTRY IN THE WORLD THAT HAS
ITS OWN INTELLIGENCE SHOP SO
IT'S ALL THESE INTEL ANALYSTS
THAT COLLECT -- SORRY, THEY
DON'T COLLECT.
THEY RECEIVE INFORMATION AND
ANALYZE IT WITH THE ONLY PURPOSE
OF THIS MISSION TO DISRUPT AND
DISMANTLE FINANCIAL NETWORKS.
ANY TIME THE U.S. TREASURY
SANCTIONS A TARGET, YOU CAN
THINK OF IT AS THE CENTER OF AN
ONION AND ONCE IT'S SANCTIONED,
THEY CONTINUE TO HUNT DOWN AND
IDENTIFY AND EXPOSE THAT ENTIRE
NETWORK BECAUSE IT PART OF
ENFORCING THE SANCTION.
SO THE IDEA THAT LIKE IT'S A
NAME ON A PRESS RELEASE AND
THAT'S IT, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK
LIKE THAT.
IT'S -- THEY MAP OUT THE WHOLE
NETWORK AND WORK WITH THE
PRIVATE SECTOR TO ENSURE THAT IF
THERE IS A BANK ACCOUNT OR A
BUSINESS THEY'RE NOT AWARE IS
OWNED IN FACT BY PRESIDENT PUTIN
OR ONE OF HIS OLIGARCHS, THEY
WILL EITHER PUBLICLY SANCTION
THAT BUSINESS OR BNK AANK ACCOUN
LATER ON OR MAY GO TO THE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION DIRECTLY
AND SAY HEY, YOU MAY NOT BE
AWARE BUT THIS IS WHO ACTUALLY
OWNS THIS ACCOUNT.
>> WHAT ARE THE CHANCES SOME
U.S. PLAYERS GET UNCOVERED WHEN
YOU START UNCOVERING WHERE
PEOPLE ARE HIDING THEIR MONEY,
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF
STORIES ABOUT STRAW DONATIONS
THAT HAVE GONE INTO REPUBLICAN
COFFERS HERE AND THERE AND
SENATORS HAVE BEEN NAMED, MAYBE.
WE DON'T KNOW.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THIS
HUNT TURNS UP SOME AMERICANS WHO
ARE MAYBE DOING BUSINESS?
DO WE FIND OUT OH, DONALD TRUMP
OR SOMEBODY ELSE IS DOING
BUSINESS WITH THEM AND IF THAT
INFORMATION COMES UP AND IT'S
AMERICANS OR STRAW DONORS IN THE
UNITED STATES, WHAT HAPPENS TO
THEM?
>> IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT TREASURY
PURSUES.
USUALLY WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS
HAVE HAPPENED, YOU HAVE FOR
EXAMPLE LEAKS LIKE
PAPERS AND THOSE DOCUMENTS ENDED
UP UNLEASHING AND MANYEXPOSING
INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN SHADY
FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.
YOU MAY END UP HAVING SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
IF AN AMERICAN PERSON IS
INVOLVED, IT'S NOT USUALLY THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES
IT IF THAT'S FALLING INTO LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE.
>> OH, GOD.
>> AND THE FBI AND MAWHAT THEY D
IS MORE MONEY LAUNDERING, THESE
ARE AGAINST U.S. LAW SO IT'S A
LEGAL PROCEDURE THAT ENDS
UPTAKING PLACE AFTER THAT.
>> AND RIGHT BACK TO THE DOJ
THAT WON'T EVEN PROSECUTE DONALD
TRUMP AND THAT'S ANOTHER
CONVERSATION.
I GUESS, THE LAST QUESTION WOULD
BE LET'S SAY THAT ONE OF THESE
OLIGARCHS HAS LOATHTS OF YACHTS
PROPERTY THAT GETS SEIZED IN
THIS PROCESS, WHAT DOES THE
TREASURY DEPUTY DO?
DO THEY SELL IT?
DOES IT GO INTO THE AMERICAN
COFFERS?
HAPPENS TO THE PROPERTYS?
>> OWE, THE SEIZURE OF ANY KIND
OF CRIMINAL ASSET GOES TO A
SLUSH FUND FOR FUTURE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
OWN PROCEEDS MADE OR ANY CASH,
ALL OF IT GOES INTO A SLUSH FUND
FOR FUTURE LAW ENFORCEMENT
ACTIVITY.
>> WHAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU THERE
ON THE SCREEN, WE CAN PUT IT
BACK UP, SIX OLIGARCHS,
DERIPASKA, SHE'S TALKED A LOT
ABOUT SOME OF THESE GUYS.
ALEXI, EUGENE, DIMITRI, YOU
MIGHT HAVE HEARD, AS WELL.
TOTAL COST OF THE REAL ESTATE
THEY OWN IN THIS COUNTRY IN NEW
YORK CITY ALONE, $588 MILLION.
SO WE'RE TALKING BIG, BIG MONEY.
DON'T MAKE TOO MANY PLANS FOR