Reflections of an AML Whistleblower: A Chat with Everett Stern

Regulatory Ramblings

Around the world, few professions outside of banking and financial services offer those of average intelligence and ability the opportunity to enjoy, at the very least, a middle-class existence.
And that’s certainly the case here in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific more generally, not just in New York City or London.
Yet, it’s also a field where people often go along to get along.
Sadly, that also extends to those in compliance – not just to bankers and traders – who don’t want to rock the boat as they too receive bonuses when their institutions do well.
An exception to that is Everett Stern. In 2010, as an AML compliance officer at HSBC in the U.S. state of Delaware, he displayed the kind of moral resolve and backbone which is rarely evident in financial and corporate circles these days.
Specifically, he exposed illegal money laundering transactions at the Bank involving Hamas and Hezbollah.
Despite numerous alerts to his supervisor, Everett's warnings went unheeded, at which point he contacted the FBI which began its investigation of HSBC.
He then reached a resignation agreement with HSBC in October 2011, at which point he was blacklisted by the financial community.
Everett later founded the private intelligence firm, Tactical Rabbit, and was most recently an Independent conservative candidate for the United States Senate.
His new book "Dark Money and Private Spies: The Everett Stern Story" is available on Amazon. Find out more at www.hkufintech.com/regulatoryramblings.

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