Tax Day Reminder: Biggest Tax Whistleblower in History Remains in Prison

Washington, D.C. April 18, 2011. Today, Tax Day, Bradley Birkenfeld, the whistleblower who exposed UBS bank’s $20 billion illegal tax fraud scheme, is still serving his 40-month prison sentence. Mr. Birkenfeld entered Schuylkill County Federal Correctional Institution in Minersville, Pennsylvania on January 8, 2010 and has already served over 15 months in prison.

Mr. Birkenfeld’s voluntary disclosures led to: an agreement between the United States and UBS for the payment of $780 million in fines and penalties; the creation of two IRS amnesty programs, under which 14,700 people have come forward and admitted to illegal, secret bank accounts; the recovery of billions of taxpayer dollars by the IRS; the termination of the entire $20 billion illegal UBS program that existed to solicit and encourage wealthy Americans to hide their money in secret, offshore accounts; and a historic treaty between Switzerland and the United States requiring Switzerland to reveal the identity of over 4,000 tax evaders for the first time.

Mr. Birkenfeld filed his official clemency petition to President Obama on Tax Day last year, April 15, 2010. Mr. Birkenfeld has not yet received a response to his clemency petition. The National Whistleblowers Center has an active Action Alert campaign urging every American to write letters to President Obama asking that he immediately grant Mr. Birkenfeld’s executive clemency.

Attorney for Mr. Birkenfeld Stephen M. Kohn, Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center stated:

“Bradley Birkenfeld has already saved the taxpayers over two billion dollars, but remains in prison while the architects of the scheme all escaped prison time. Every day Mr. Birkenfeld remains in prison undermines trust in the tax system and is a step backward in the fight against corruption.”

“We appeal to you today, the day that all Americans must pay their taxes, with the hope that you will help correct a severe injustice and send a letter in support of Mr. Birkenfeld’s clemency campaign.”

The Department of Justice has yet to prosecute thousands of tax evaders identified through Mr. Birkenfeld’s voluntary disclosures.

Mr. Birkenfeld issued the following statement from prison:

“It is astonishing to me that the DOJ failed to expose the largest tax fraud in US history and has subsequently failed to prosecute the thousands of millionaires and billionaires that I told them about over 3 years ago.”

“Every American taxpayer should be outraged as the law is not being equally applied to all.”

Links:

Clemency Campaign Action Alert

Bradley Birkenfeld Fact Sheet

Bradley Birkenfeld’s Official Clemency Petition

***

Contact Information

Lindsey M. Williams

Director of Advocacy and Development

National Whistleblowers Center

Contact via E-mail