US Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Department of State, revoked the license that was issued to Specially Designated National, Dan Gertler, on January 15, 2021. The license previously granted to Mr. Gertler is inconsistent with America’s strong foreign policy interests in combatting corruption around the world, specifically including U.S. efforts to counter corruption and promote stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As the original designation of Mr. Gertler under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program in 2017 and subsequent designations in 2018 made clear,
Mr. Gertler engaged in extensive public corruption. Under our Privileged Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, the United States stands firmly with our partners in the DRC to counter malign behavior that undermines the country’s institutions and economic opportunities.
The United States will continue to promote accountability for corrupt actors with all the tools at our disposal, in order to advance democracy, uphold international norms, and impose tangible costs on those who seek to upend them.
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The revoked license
Dan Gertler is an international businessman and billionaire who amassed a fortune through hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of opaque and corrupt mining and oil deals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Early this year, Former US president In a secret, last-minute action, gave Israeli mining tycoon Gertler and his businesses a license to, in effect, nullify sanctions previously imposed by the US Department of the Treasury. The Sentry urged banks to maintain blocks on transactions and assets linked to Gertler and his network of businesses and affiliates.
