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Editorial


Front Page - Friday, October 9, 2026

US hits Bank of America with $1.2B fine, saying it violated money laundering, sanctions laws




WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday that it's imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

The fines on America's second-biggest bank amount to the third-largest in the department's history.

"When a bank of this size fails to meet its anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations, the consequences extend far beyond its own walls, exposing the entire U.S. financial system to significant illicit finance risks," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. "Today's actions send a clear message that even the biggest financial institutions are not above the law."

Treasury said Bank of America also reached an $11.6 million settlement with the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control over "apparent violations of numerous sanctions programs, including on Iran, Russia, narcotics, and global terrorism."