Airing Dirty Laundering

“Don’t worry, these stories are not just about us.They’re also about you.And how is that possible? Because all these stories
are about money. The idea of money. The necessity of money.

The secret life of money.” — The Laundromat

When I first watched The Laundromat on Netflix a few years ago (when I had Netflix) I thought it was informative, even entertaining. But what I learned was also something I definitely wanted to address in my political agenda for long overdue tax evasion reforms if I ever made it to Washington. 3 years later, after an attempted run for office, Covid and being self-isolated in Bermuda while seeing Democracy collapse has really opened my eyes to the Truth. That dirty money, laundering it through supposedly legitimate accounts and being a victim of it are pervasive everywhere. From Panama to Bermuda, to China, Africa, Ukraine, Luxembourg, and all the way back to DC, and yes, New York.

It’s the big Open Secret of how some people stay wealthy and even amass more while others continue to suffer at more deplorable levels. But I never thought I’D be the victim. I’d never be the “Meryl Streep character” hunting down Boncamper in Nevis, Or the person responsible for about $200k missing from the wires and checks I wrote to people I thought were “Legitimate” even trying to be “Helpful” to a new-comer.

You can call me naïve, idealistic, too trusting and maybe even blind, but I am who I am, And I will Always try to see the best in others, despite having to pick up the pieces after they hurt me.

So last week as my NY attorney — the cynic and constant “bad cop” to my “naïve” one — reviewed completely jumbled and random accounting and receipts from those who I’d actually believed were being my support system here, we discovered that a very large portion of my investment was simply missing. It was then that I knew exactly how laundry must feel after it comes out of the wash. Strung out, damp, and missing a whole lot of who It was before. Beyond the loss, knowing my well-intentioned investment was potentially in the possession of “Offshore Investment Advisors” and “Reinsurance Companies” with nefarious intentions made me physically sick.

I mean I’ve been defrauded before, as I was by several campaign staffers back in 2019. But there had always been legal recourse. A person to fire. A person to prosecute. Now, there was no one, just “empty shells and offices with phones that don’t pick up…Doing bad things in places I have no connection to.

So, what do you do in these scenarios? What can I do, since I am the victim, I refuse to embody? I fight with whatever means I have — diplomatic, whistleblowing or otherwise to air the Dirty Laundry happening on “Paradise Island”.

I’ve called the The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, alerted my connections at the UN Human Rights Commission and will continue to pursue this to ensure no other well-intentioned ESG investor ever makes the mistake I have in investing here.

Like the laundry, I didn’t put dirt on myself. They did. And accountability will be found.

Holly Lynch is a 20+ year ESG and DEI communications veteran, board member, strategist and investor who has helped individuals and companies tackle the toughest challenges, transitions and transformations in their worlds. Having survived countless life setbacks and two rounds with terminal cancer, while seeing the country-wide collapse of the systems and safety nets for the most vulnerable in and outside our communities, she is now shifting her life and career trajectories to focus on coaching and consulting with those facing down fundamental shifts and transitions as they try to adapt to change while rebuilding their lives and businesses during these unprecedented times.