Security News: Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s Trip to Colorado

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa O. Monaco traveled to Colorado this week to highlight the Justice Department’s mission to protect and defend the rule of law. 

On Wednesday, the Deputy AG was in Aspen, Colorado, to speak at the Aspen Security Forum. Alongside Treasury Deputy Secretary Walley Adeyemo, she discussed the wide-ranging response by the Justice and Treasury Departments as part of the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to impose consequences on the Russian regime for its unprovoked aggression in Ukraine.

In particular, the Deputy AG highlighted the success of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, and its work with partners across the U.S. government and around the world to enforce the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed on Russia. She also described the department’s resolve to expose the corruption that has benefited the Russian regime, saying:

“It is important, I think, to expose the corruption; to do everything we can to go after these ill-gotten gains — whether they’re in bank accounts here, whether they’re in the form of planes or yachts, you name it — and to expose this corruption to say that there’s no place that you can hide these ill-gotten gains — we’ll go to Fiji if we have to, to get [them] back.”

A video recording of the discussion, titled “Freezing, Seizing, and More: Behind the Sanctions on Russia,” is available here.

On Thursday, the Deputy AG was in Denver to visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. There she met with U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan and his leadership team, and received a series of briefings on cases from across the district. She also had an opportunity to hear from and talk with the men and women of the U.S Attorney’s Office during an all-hands meeting.  

Finally, the Deputy AG convened a roundtable with state, local, federal and Tribal law enforcement leaders to discuss public safety issues — including violent crime and the ongoing threat posed by fentanyl. Deputy AG Monaco thanked the assembled leaders for their partnership.