BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists teamed up to sift through 2,000 of the most sensitive government documents. One of the main reporters takes us through the inner workings of an investigation into dirty money and complicit banks
Subscribe to the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Spotify
Last month, BuzzFeed News published what it described as "an investigation of historic scale": The FinCEN Files.
With the help of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a combined force of 400 journalists from 88 countries dug into more than 2,000 of the most secretive government documents known as 'suspicious activity reports' (or SARs for short). So secret in fact, few people knew of their existence, including the journalists about to dip into the files.
The documents were obtained through the efforts of senior BuzzFeed News journalists Anthony Cormier and Jason Leopold, who had first used them to investigate President Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort over alleged Russian influence in the 2016 US election. Little did they know these SARS would reveal an oil spring of stories.
A series of FinCEN Files investigations followed, detailing multiple examples of how dirty money filters into the global economy via complicit banks. A five-part podcast series 'Suspcious Activity: Inside The FinCEN Files' followed with the most prominent stories emerging from the documents.
In this week's podcast, we talk to Richard Holmes, one of the main BuzzFeed News investigative reporters involved in the project. He took the reins on one story in particular involving two whistleblowers at Standard Chartered bank who flagged up SARs related to suspicious Iranian clients. We learn more about the inner workings of a collaborative investigation which was so sensitive and explosive in nature.
🚨NEW: For 2 years, I have been working on a massive, global financial investigation w/my @BuzzFeedNews colleagues based on secret US govt docs we shared w/@ICIJ, internal bank records & intvs w/100s of sources. Here's Day 1 #FinCENFiles https://t.co/YnOOE3bMdG1/— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) September 20, 2020
🚨NEW: For 2 years, I have been working on a massive, global financial investigation w/my @BuzzFeedNews colleagues based on secret US govt docs we shared w/@ICIJ, internal bank records & intvs w/100s of sources. Here's Day 1 #FinCENFiles https://t.co/YnOOE3bMdG1/
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Sign up to receive job alerts of your choice by email, or manage your subscription
Featured recruiter: click to view its vacancies
One of the largest enterprise tech news websites seeks a reporter with a track record covering tech industry sectors to join its European editorial team
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news, tips, jobs and more
End that deadline stress today and find help in our freelance directory
Cargo Force stuns the world: free 10kg shipping to India in celebration of ICC Trophy victory – offer ongoing until Sunday, 16 March!
Our 35th Newsrewired conference will be held 13 May 2025, News UK, London.
Our community of experts gives a heads-up on the most important shifts your newsroom needs to prepare for this year
Conferences and study weeks are fantastic opportunities to get the latest updates on the industry and network with your peers
If you find your social feeds a tad too heavy on men's voices, follow and connect with these fantastic women experts on indie media
How do you move print readers to digital? Are there other ways to hold on to subscribers besides a last-ditch deal?
