On March 5, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Ihor Kolomoisky of “involvement in significant corruption", sanctioning the oligarch and his immediate family.
Kolomoisky faces criminal charges in the United States, being accused of money laundering concerning the alleged $5.5 billion he stole when he ownid Ukraine PrivatBank, which was nationalized in December 2016. At the same time, Kolomoisky faces a plethora of civil lawsuits in jurisdictions, including the United States, for alleged money laundering in real estat purchases from PrivatBank money.
"Today, I am announcing the public designation of oligarch and former Ukrainian public official Ihor Kolomoyskyy due to his involvement in significant corruption. In his official capacity as a Governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast from 2014 to 2015, Kolomoyskyy was involved in corrupt acts that undermined rule of law and the Ukrainian public’s faith in their government’s democratic institutions and public processes, including using his political influence and official power for his personal benefit. While this designation is based on acts during his time in office, I also want to express concern about Kolomoyskyy’s current and ongoing efforts to undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and institutions, which pose a serious threat to its future," Secretary Blinken said in his statement.
This designation is made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020. In addition to Ihor Kolomoysky, the State Department sanctioned the following members of Ihor Kolomoysky’s family: his wife, Iryna Kolomoyska, his daughter, Angelika Kolomoyska, and his son, Israel Zvi Kolomoyskyy.
"This designation reaffirms the U.S. commitment to supporting political, economic, and justice sector reforms that are key to Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic path. The United States continues to stand with all Ukrainians whose work drives reforms forward. The Department will continue to use authorities like this to promote accountability for corrupt actors in this region and globally," Blinken stated.