This Sunday on “Full Measure,” we have the incredible story of a whistleblower sent to prison after turning evidence against one of the biggest and most secretive banks in the world.
Released from prison four years ago, Bradley Birkenfeld is a wealthy man thanks to a record $104 million settlement paid to him by the U.S. government after he served his time.
I talk with the former employee of the Swiss bank UBS about the massive scheme to help wealthy Americans evade taxes, and why he says the U.S. Department of Justice chose to prosecute him, but let nearly everyone else involved in the scam get off with light penalties or none at all.
While UBS agreed to pay a settlement of $787 million, Birkenfeld calls it a sweetheart deal because it was a billion dollars less than the profit the bank made from the illegal accounts. There is still no explanation from the Department of Justice as to who decided which names were divulged and which ones were not made public.
Here’s part of my interview:
Birkenfeld: “Why wouldn’t you get all of the names?”
Attkisson: “In essence, the secrecy has been allowed to continue, instead of being stopped?
Birkenfeld: “Well, that’s precisely it. It’s a continuation of Swiss bank secrecy, American style. This was not a real investigation. This was to cover up for the rich and powerful people in this country, the millionaires and billionaires, and politicians who had accounts in Switzerland.”
