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PBS NewsHour (Nov to Dec 2017), Nov 6, 2017 - What we learned about Wilbur Ross’ financial ties from the Para...

Nov 6, 2017 - What we learned about Wilbur Ross’ financial ties from the Para...

Nov 6, 2017 - What we learned about Wilbur Ross' financial ties from the Paradise Papers. John Yang:

Now, a new series of investigations reveals the offshore financial dealings of some of the world's wealthiest people and biggest corporations. The stories are tied to what's being called the Paradise Papers, a leak of more than 13 million documents from a Bermuda law firm, offshore havens and other corporate registries. They show how trillions of dollars are moved around, often illegally, and how taxes and regulations can be ducked.

Lisa Desjardins has the story.

Lisa Desjardins:

The papers were leaked to a German newspaper and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, in all, more than 380 journalists in 67 countries.

One of many investigations getting a lot of attention, the investments of commerce secretary Wilbur Ross.

Ross kept a stake in a shipping company called Navigator Holdings after he became secretary. One of Navigator's top clients is the Russian energy company Sibur, whose owners include Vladimir Putin's son-in-law and Kremlin-linked oligarchs on the U.S. sanctions list.

Critics are calling for an investigation, but the commerce secretary said he's done nothing wrong. Sasha Chavkin is a reporter with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists who broke this story and has been working on this for nearly a year.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Sasha Chavkin:

Thanks for having me.

Lisa Desjardins:

This is just a vast amount of data on what is one of the murkiest sources of wealth and power in the world.

Let's take the big picture first. Can you explain what these tax havens are and why there's concern? Sasha Chavkin:

Yes.

So, we were leaked 13.4 million documents from an elite offshore law firm called Appleby.

And what it did was, it used those tax havens to help its clients, who are rich individuals, multinational corporations, powerful politicians, conduct their business, often in ways where they reduce taxes or face less disclosure than ordinary people are subject to. Lisa Desjardins:

Is it legal or is it illegal?

Sasha Chavkin:

Most of this is legal, and that's a lot of the concern that our investigation has raised. In some cases, people also crossed the line into illegal activity.

Lisa Desjardins:

All right, this brings us to one of the names.

There are many names in the file, including the queen of England and Madonna, who had offshore investments.

But let's talk about Wilbur Ross. What exactly is his connection here? Sasha Chavkin:

Well, Wilbur Ross and his private equity firm, W.L.

Ross & Co, was one of the biggest clients of this offshore firms, Appleby, with more than Cayman Islands companies. We were able to trace a personal stake that Ross held through Cayman Islands companies in Navigator Holdings, the shipping company that has ties to this Kremlin-linked energy firm.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, Secretary Ross did speak about this today on CNBC.

Let's listen. Wilbur Ross:

My obligation is to disclose companies in which I'm an officer, a director, or an investor. I am neither an officer nor a director nor an investor in Sibur. In fact, I have never met them, don't know the people, had nothing to do with the negotiation of the charter arrangement. Lisa Desjardins:

Now, critics say he wasn't fully disclosing that he has an indirect relationship with this Russian company Sibur. But he is saying, no, I was on the up and up.

I said everywhere that I have invested in. The fact that I'm invested in a company that has a relationship with Sibur, that wasn't asked. Is that right?

Did he disclose things properly? Sasha Chavkin:

There's no indication that he broke the letter of the disclosure rules. But what he did do was came to an ethics agreement where he mentioned nine companies that he was holding a stake in.

In that ethics agreement, he mentioned the Cayman Islands companies that held Navigator, but not Navigator itself.

And that's why some critics, such as Richard Blumenthal, the senator from Connecticut, essentially said that he was using offshore shell companies to obfuscate. He faced a lot of questions about his connections to Russia during his confirmation process, mostly because of the business he did with the Bank of Cyprus, which is another favorite destination for Russian oligarchs.

And yet Navigator and Sibur never came up.

The senators tell us they never figured it out, based on his disclosures. Lisa Desjardins:

They wouldn't have been able to connect the dots without these leaked documents that you have today, in other words? Sasha Chavkin:

The leaks were crucial to us in piecing together that connection.

Lisa Desjardins:

We expect more to come.

We will be following the story with you.

Thank you so much, Sasha Chavkin, with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Sasha Chavkin:

Thank you, Lisa.

Nov 6, 2017 - What we learned about Wilbur Ross’ financial ties from the Para... Νοε 6, 2017 - Τι μάθαμε για τους οικονομικούς δεσμούς του Wilbur Ross από την Para... Nov 6, 2017 - Lo que aprendimos sobre los vínculos financieros de Wilbur Ross en el Para... 6 novembre 2017 - Cosa abbiamo imparato sui legami finanziari di Wilbur Ross dalla Para... 2017年11月6日 - ウィルバー・ロスの財務上のつながりについてパラ... 2017년 11월 6일 - 윌버 로스의 장애인 단체와의 재정적 관계에 대해 알게 된 사실... 6 listopada 2017 r. - Czego dowiedzieliśmy się o powiązaniach finansowych Wilbura Rossa z... 6 de nov de 2017 - O que aprendemos sobre os laços financeiros de Wilbur Ross com o Para... Nov 6, 2017 - Что мы узнали о финансовых связях Уилбура Росса от Пара... 6 Kasım 2017 - Wilbur Ross'un finansal bağlantıları hakkında Para Fonu'ndan öğrendiklerimiz... 6 листопада 2017 р. - Що ми дізналися про фінансові зв'язки Вілбура Росса від Парламентської асамблеї... 2017 年 11 月 6 日 - 我们从 Para 了解到威尔伯·罗斯 (Wilbur Ross) 的财务关系…… 2017 年 11 月 6 日 - 我們從 Para 了解到威爾伯·羅斯 (Wilbur Ross) 的財務關係…

Nov 6, 2017 - What we learned about Wilbur Ross' financial ties from the Paradise Papers. 6 novembre 2017 - Ce que nous avons appris sur les liens financiers de Wilbur Ross grâce aux Paradise Papers. 2017 年 11 月 6 日 - 我们从《天堂文件》中了解到威尔伯·罗斯 (Wilbur Ross) 的财务关系。 John Yang:

Now, a new series of investigations reveals the offshore financial dealings of some of the world's wealthiest people and biggest corporations. Maintenant, une nouvelle série d'enquêtes révèle les transactions financières offshore de certaines des personnes les plus riches du monde et des plus grandes entreprises. 现在,一系列新的调查揭露了一些世界上最富有的人和最大的公司的离岸金融交易。 The stories are tied to what's being called the Paradise Papers, a leak of more than 13 million documents from a Bermuda law firm, offshore havens and other corporate registries. Les histoires sont liées à ce qu'on appelle les Paradise Papers, une fuite de plus de 13 millions de documents d'un cabinet d'avocats des Bermudes, de paradis offshore et d'autres registres d'entreprises. They show how trillions of dollars are moved around, often illegally, and how taxes and regulations can be ducked. Ils montrent comment des milliers de milliards de dollars sont déplacés, souvent illégalement, et comment les taxes et les réglementations peuvent être contournées.

Lisa Desjardins has the story.

Lisa Desjardins:

The papers were leaked to a German newspaper and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, in all, more than 380 journalists in 67 countries. Les documents ont été divulgués à un journal allemand puis partagés avec le Consortium international des journalistes d'investigation, en tout, plus de 380 journalistes dans 67 pays.

One of many investigations getting a lot of attention, the investments of commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. L'une des nombreuses enquêtes qui suscitent beaucoup d'attention, les investissements du secrétaire au commerce Wilbur Ross. 商务部长威尔伯·罗斯的投资是引起广泛关注的众多调查之一。

Ross kept a stake in a shipping company called Navigator Holdings after he became secretary. Ross a conservé une participation dans une compagnie maritime appelée Navigator Holdings après être devenu secrétaire. One of Navigator's top clients is the Russian energy company Sibur, whose owners include Vladimir Putin's son-in-law and Kremlin-linked oligarchs on the U.S. L'un des principaux clients de Navigator est la société énergétique russe Sibur, dont les propriétaires comprennent le gendre de Vladimir Poutine et des oligarques liés au Kremlin aux États-Unis. sanctions list. liste des sanctions.

Critics are calling for an investigation, but the commerce secretary said he's done nothing wrong. Sasha Chavkin is a reporter with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists who broke this story and has been working on this for nearly a year. Sasha Chavkin est journaliste au Consortium international des journalistes d'investigation qui a dévoilé cette histoire et y travaille depuis près d'un an.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Sasha Chavkin:

Thanks for having me.

Lisa Desjardins:

This is just a vast amount of data on what is one of the murkiest sources of wealth and power in the world. Il ne s'agit que d'une vaste quantité de données sur ce qui est l'une des sources les plus obscures de richesse et de pouvoir au monde.

Let's take the big picture first. Prenons d'abord la grande image. Can you explain what these tax havens are and why there's concern? Pouvez-vous expliquer ce que sont ces paradis fiscaux et pourquoi vous vous inquiétez? Sasha Chavkin:

Yes.

So, we were leaked 13.4 million documents from an elite offshore law firm called Appleby. Ainsi, 13,4 millions de documents nous ont été divulgués par un cabinet d'avocats offshore d'élite appelé Appleby.

And what it did was, it used those tax havens to help its clients, who are rich individuals, multinational corporations, powerful politicians, conduct their business, often in ways where they reduce taxes or face less disclosure than ordinary people are subject to. Et ce qu'il a fait, c'est qu'il a utilisé ces paradis fiscaux pour aider ses clients, qui sont des particuliers riches, des sociétés multinationales, des politiciens puissants, à mener leurs affaires, souvent de manière à réduire les impôts ou à faire face à moins de divulgation que les gens ordinaires. Lisa Desjardins:

Is it legal or is it illegal?

Sasha Chavkin:

Most of this is legal, and that's a lot of the concern that our investigation has raised. La plupart de cela est légal, et c'est une grande partie de la préoccupation que notre enquête a soulevée. In some cases, people also crossed the line into illegal activity. Dans certains cas, des personnes ont également franchi la ligne d'arrivée à des activités illégales.

Lisa Desjardins:

All right, this brings us to one of the names.

There are many names in the file, including the queen of England and Madonna, who had offshore investments. De nombreux noms figurent dans le dossier, dont la reine d'Angleterre et Madonna, qui avaient des investissements offshore.

But let's talk about Wilbur Ross. What exactly is his connection here? Sasha Chavkin:

Well, Wilbur Ross and his private equity firm, W.L. Eh bien, Wilbur Ross et sa société de capital-investissement, WL

Ross & Co, was one of the biggest clients of this offshore firms, Appleby, with more than Cayman Islands companies. Ross & Co, était l'un des plus gros clients de cette société offshore, Appleby, avec plus de sociétés des îles Caïmans. We were able to trace a personal stake that Ross held through Cayman Islands companies in Navigator Holdings, the shipping company that has ties to this Kremlin-linked energy firm. Nous avons pu retracer une participation personnelle que Ross détenait par l'intermédiaire de sociétés des îles Caïmans dans Navigator Holdings, la compagnie maritime qui a des liens avec cette entreprise énergétique liée au Kremlin.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, Secretary Ross did speak about this today on CNBC.

Let's listen. Wilbur Ross:

My obligation is to disclose companies in which I'm an officer, a director, or an investor. Mon obligation est de divulguer les sociétés dont je suis dirigeant, administrateur ou investisseur. I am neither an officer nor a director nor an investor in Sibur. In fact, I have never met them, don't know the people, had nothing to do with the negotiation of the charter arrangement. En fait, je ne les ai jamais rencontrés, je ne connais pas les gens, je n'ai rien à voir avec la négociation de la charte. 事实上,我从未见过他们,不认识这些人,与包机安排的谈判无关。 Lisa Desjardins:

Now, critics say he wasn't fully disclosing that he has an indirect relationship with this Russian company Sibur. Maintenant, les critiques disent qu'il ne révélait pas entièrement qu'il avait une relation indirecte avec cette société russe Sibur. But he is saying, no, I was on the up and up. Mais il dit, non, j'étais en haut et en haut.

I said everywhere that I have invested in. J'ai dit partout où j'ai investi. The fact that I'm invested in a company that has a relationship with Sibur, that wasn't asked. Le fait que je sois investi dans une entreprise qui a une relation avec Sibur, ça ne m'a pas été demandé. Is that right?

Did he disclose things properly? Sasha Chavkin:

There's no indication that he broke the letter of the disclosure rules. Rien n'indique qu'il ait enfreint la lettre des règles de divulgation. But what he did do was came to an ethics agreement where he mentioned nine companies that he was holding a stake in. Mais ce qu'il a fait, c'est conclure un accord éthique dans lequel il mentionne neuf sociétés dans lesquelles il détenait une participation.

In that ethics agreement, he mentioned the Cayman Islands companies that held Navigator, but not Navigator itself. Dans cet accord éthique, il a mentionné les sociétés des îles Caïmans qui détenaient Navigator, mais pas Navigator lui-même.

And that's why some critics, such as Richard Blumenthal, the senator from Connecticut, essentially said that he was using offshore shell companies to obfuscate. Et c'est pourquoi certains critiques, comme Richard Blumenthal, le sénateur du Connecticut, ont essentiellement dit qu'il utilisait des sociétés écrans offshore pour obscurcir. He faced a lot of questions about his connections to Russia during his confirmation process, mostly because of the business he did with the Bank of Cyprus, which is another favorite destination for Russian oligarchs. Il a été confronté à de nombreuses questions sur ses liens avec la Russie au cours de son processus de confirmation, principalement en raison des affaires qu'il a conclues avec la Banque de Chypre, qui est une autre destination préférée des oligarques russes.

And yet Navigator and Sibur never came up. Et pourtant, Navigator et Sibur ne sont jamais apparus.

The senators tell us they never figured it out, based on his disclosures. Les sénateurs nous disent qu'ils n'ont jamais compris, sur la base de ses révélations. Lisa Desjardins:

They wouldn't have been able to connect the dots without these leaked documents that you have today, in other words? Ils n'auraient pas été en mesure de relier les points sans ces documents divulgués que vous avez aujourd'hui, en d'autres termes ? Sasha Chavkin:

The leaks were crucial to us in piecing together that connection. Les fuites ont été cruciales pour nous pour reconstituer cette connexion. 这些泄漏对于我们拼凑这种联系至关重要。

Lisa Desjardins:

We expect more to come.

We will be following the story with you.

Thank you so much, Sasha Chavkin, with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Sasha Chavkin:

Thank you, Lisa.