Money Trail - Who Rides The Money Trail?

Who Rides The Money Trail?

Just like in the Wild West, riding the money train can be a long journey that often leads nowhere. The intention of the individuals involved is to make sure there are no footprints to follow. Since those involved in corruption tend to be powerful, riding the trail can be dangerous. One trail rider in 2008 was whisked away and "lost" for 14 days. That one was lucky. Other trail riders that got too close, were not heard from again.

Riding the trail is serious business for many. In Great Britain following the trail is described as a “modern Bletchley Park". Bletchley Park is where British intelligence intercepted communications that foiled the Axis military planning during World War II. Tracking the financial footprints left by today’s terrorists, proliferators, drug kingpins, and other adversaries can thwart attacks, disrupt logistical and financial support networks, and identify unknown operatives.

In the United States two big trail riders are the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Internal Revenue Service. A third governmental group called the US District Attorney coordinates the efforts of both groups, and prosecutes the cases before a judge. Non-governmental trail riders include organizations like GLAD and attorneys like Mary Bonauto who dig to learn the names of those who rode the trail before and attempted to cover their tracks. This type of trail rider typically presses for disclosure and documents to reveal who stepped on the wrong side of the law.