House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that it would be “appropriate” for federal officials to file criminal charges against BNP Paribas, which has been under investigation for doing business with countries blacklisted by the U.S., including Iran.
{mosads}”The scope of the alleged wrongdoing is deeply worrisome: the allegations include willfully deleting information in wire transfers that could tie payments to sanctioned entities. I strongly support efforts to fully enforce U.S. sanctions laws against banks, whether they are based in the U.S., Europe, or anywhere, including through criminal charges where appropriate,” Sherman said in a statement.
The French bank is reportedly finalizing a settlement deal with U.S. authorities.
“Based on the allegations against the bank in this case, criminal charges against BNP Paribas would be appropriate. BNP Paribas is not the first large bank to be accused of violating U.S. or international sanctions, and unfortunately may not be the last,” Sherman said.