Putting Terrorists Out of Business: Using Sarbanes-Oxley to Prosecute Terror Financiers

Engage: The Journal of the Federalist Society's Practice Groups, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 91-96, March, 2010

6 Pages Posted: 3 Apr 2010

See all articles by Adam R. Pearlman

Adam R. Pearlman

Lexpat Global Services; Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University - National Security Institute

Date Written: March 31, 2010

Abstract

This article examines the practicality and the utility of prosecuting terrorist financiers for anticipatory obstruction of justice under section 802 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, codified at 18 U.S.C. s. 1519. Section 1519 was written to be a broadly applicable law, designed to go after the "individual shredder" or destructor of evidence in a way that other obstruction statutes (e.g. ss. 1503 and 1512) could not. It has been applied to a variety of defendants, ranging from those charged with possession of child pornography, to those being investigated for health care fraud. The article examines the legislative history and the Supreme Court's ruling in Arthur Anderson (reversing convictions on obstruction charges), and applies that background to the possibility of using this law against those who finance terrorists.

Keywords: Criminal Law, Sarbanes-Oxley, Obstruction, Terrorist, Terrorism, Finance, Financing, Prosecute, Prosecution, Supreme Court, Arthur Anderson

Suggested Citation

Pearlman, Adam R., Putting Terrorists Out of Business: Using Sarbanes-Oxley to Prosecute Terror Financiers (March 31, 2010). Engage: The Journal of the Federalist Society's Practice Groups, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 91-96, March, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1583951

Adam R. Pearlman (Contact Author)

Lexpat Global Services ( email )

United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.lexpatglobal.com

Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University - National Security Institute ( email )

Arlington, VA
United States

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