WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) and Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05) reintroduced the bipartisan H.R. 4592, Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act. The legislation would make public the funds obtained in an illegal or corrupt manner held by Iran’s authoritarian, theocratic regime.
“For the past four decades, the people of Iran have lived under the brutal dictatorship of the Ayatollahs in Tehran,” said Rep. Hill. “The Ayatollahs, the Mullahs, and the Iranian military are all profiting at the expense of ordinary Iranian citizens and the Iranian people are rightfully calling for accountability. I stand with the Iranian people and this legislation will provide transparency into the corruption and illicit behavior of the leaders of Iran. I thank my colleague Rep. Lawson for his support and for making this a priority.”
“Iran’s government has continually engaged in corrupt business practices and other deplorable actions,” Rep. Lawson said. “It is vital that we hold Iran’s leaders accountable, and this legislation will provide a new mechanism of oversight to do just that. I am proud to reintroduce this important, bipartisan policy alongside my colleague, Rep. French Hill.”
Further Background:
Additionally, the bill would require the Department of the Treasury to brief Congress on how the funds have been acquired and used. By combining publicly available information with U.S. intelligence that can be made public, the legislation can provide a valuable window into the corrupt business practices of Iran’s top kleptocrats and limit their financial holdings which are used to support and sponsor terrorism.
Rep. Hill and Rep. Lawson previously introduced the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act last Congress.
