Panama Papers

== Responses by Mossack Fonseca ==
In response to queries from the ''[[Miami Herald]]'' and ICIJ, Mossack Fonseca issued a 2,900-word statement listing legal requirements that prevent using offshore companies for [[tax avoidance]] and total anonymity, such as [[Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering|FATF]] protocols which require identifying ultimate [[beneficial owner]]s of all companies (including offshore companies) before opening any account or transacting any business.

The ''[[Miami Herald]]'' printed the statement with an editor's note that said the statement "did not address any of the specific due diligence failings uncovered by reporters".<ref name=MH>{{cite news |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article69252767.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529034835/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article69252767.html |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |author=Miami Herald staff |title=Mossack Fonseca responds to Miami Herald 'Secret Shell Game' series on offshore companies |date=April 3, 2016 |access-date=April 3, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Miami Herald]]}}</ref>

On Monday, April 4, Mossack Fonseca released another statement:

<blockquote>The facts are these: while we may have been the victim of a data breach, nothing we've seen in this illegally obtained cache of documents suggests we've done anything illegal, and that's very much in keeping with the global reputation we've built over the past 40 years of doing business the right way.</blockquote>

Co-founder [[Ramón Fonseca Mora]] told [[CNN]] that the reports were false, full of inaccuracies and that parties "in many of the circumstances" cited by the ICIJ "are not and have never been clients of Mossack Fonseca". The firm provided longer statements to ICIJ.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/04/world/panama-papers-explainer/ |title=The Panama Papers: 7 things to know |date=April 5, 2016 |access-date=April 5, 2016 |publisher=CNN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406024845/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/04/world/panama-papers-explainer/ |archive-date=April 6, 2016 }}</ref>

In its official statement April 6,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mossfonmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Statement-Regarding-Recent-Media-Coverage_4-1-2016.pdf |title=Statement Regarding Recent Media Coverage |publisher=Mossack Fonseca|access-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406213759/http://mossfonmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Statement-Regarding-Recent-Media-Coverage_4-1-2016.pdf |archive-date=April 6, 2016}}</ref> Mossack Fonseca suggested that responsibility for any legal violations might lie with other institutions:

<blockquote>approximately 90% of our clientele is {{sic|comprised |hide=y|of}} professional clients&nbsp;... who act as [[financial intermediary|intermediaries]] and are regulated in the [[jurisdiction]] of their business. These clients are obliged to perform [[due diligence]] on their clients in accordance with the [[Know your customer|KYC]] and [[Anti-money laundering|AML regulations]] to which they are subject.</blockquote>

In an interview with ''Bloomberg'', [[Jürgen Mossack]] said: "The cat's out of the bag, so now we have to deal with the aftermath."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-05/a-conversation-with-panama-s-suddenly-notorious-offshore-lawyers |author=Blake Schmidt |publisher=Bloomberg |title=A Conversation With Panama's Suddenly Notorious Offshore Lawyers |date=April 4, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225163510/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-05/a-conversation-with-panama-s-suddenly-notorious-offshore-lawyers |archive-date=February 25, 2017 }}</ref>

He said the leak was not an "inside job"—the company had been hacked by servers based abroad. It filed a complaint with the Panamanian attorney general's office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35975503 |title=Panama Papers: Leak firm Mossack Fonseca 'victim of hack' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406185216/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35975503 |archive-date=April 6, 2016 }}</ref>

On April 7, 2016, Mossack resigned from Panama's Council on Foreign Relations ([[Consejo Nacional de Relaciones Exteriores|Conarex]]),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/07/world/europe/ap-offshore-accounts-investigation-the-latest.html |title=The Latest: Venezuela to Probe Citizens in 'Panama Papers' |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407111353/http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/07/world/europe/ap-offshore-accounts-investigation-the-latest.html |archive-date=April 7, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/jurgen-mossack-renuncio-consejo-nacional-relaciones-exteriores/23932540 |title=Jürgen Mossack renunció al Consejo Nacional de Relaciones Exteriores |last=León |first=Guadalupe |date=April 7, 2016 |website=La Estrella de Panamá |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409214955/http://laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/jurgen-mossack-renuncio-consejo-nacional-relaciones-exteriores/23932540 |archive-date=April 9, 2016 }}</ref> even though he was not officially serving at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mire.gob.pa/noticias/2010/12/21/vicepresidente-y-canciller-varela-se-reune-con-el-consejo-nacional-de-relaciones |title=Vicepresidente y Canciller Varela se reúne con el Consejo Nacional de Relaciones Exteriores |trans-title=Vice President and Chancellor Varela meets with the National Foreign Affairs Council |language=es |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424192927/http://www.mire.gob.pa/noticias/2010/12/21/vicepresidente-y-canciller-varela-se-reune-con-el-consejo-nacional-de-relaciones |archive-date=April 24, 2016 }}</ref> His brother Peter Mossack still serves as honorary Consul of Panama, as he has since 2010.<ref>{{cite web |language=es |url=http://www.mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/Exterior/guia-consular.pdf |title=DEPARTAMENTO CONSULAR DE LA DGPE MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES GUIA CONSULAR (actualizada al 6 de abril 2016) |website=MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Panama |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424143421/http://www.mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/Exterior/guia-consular.pdf |archive-date=April 24, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language=es |url=http://www.mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/Exterior/guia-consular-2013.pdf |title=DEPARTAMENTO CONSULAR DE LA DGPE MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES GUIA CONSULAR (AGOSTO 2013) |website=MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Panama |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007144350/http://www.mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/Exterior/guia-consular-2013.pdf |archive-date=October 7, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language=es |url=http://www.mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/guia-diplomatica-100511.pdf |title=DEPARTAMENTO CONSULAR DE LA DGPE MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES GUIA CONSULAR (Febrero 2011) |website=MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Panama |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330011342/http://mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/guia-diplomatica-100511.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language = es |url = http://mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/guia-diplomatica.pdf |title=DEPARTAMENTO CONSULAR DE LA DGPE MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES GUIA CONSULAR (Oct 2010) |website=MINISTERIO DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES |publisher=Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Panama |access-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425221443/http://mire.gob.pa/sites/default/files/documentos/guia-diplomatica.pdf |archive-date=April 25, 2016 }}</ref>

On May 5, 2016, Mossack Fonseca sent a cease and desist letter to the ICIJ in an attempt to stop the ICIJ from releasing the leaked documents from the Panama Papers scandal.<ref>{{cite web |language = es |url = http://elsiglo.com/panama/piden-publicar-panama-papers/23938374 |title=Piden no publicar Panama Papers |date=May 6, 2016 |website=El Siglo |access-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602061930/http://elsiglo.com/panama/piden-publicar-panama-papers/23938374 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 }}</ref> Despite this, the ICIJ released the leaked documents on May 9, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |language = es |url = http://elsiglo.com/panama/icij-revelara-panama-papers/23938995 |title=ICIJ revelará hoy 'Panamá papers' |date=May 9, 2016 |website=El Siglo |access-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510105803/http://elsiglo.com/panama/icij-revelara-panama-papers/23938995 |archive-date=May 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language = en |url=https://panamapapers.icij.org/blog/20160509-offshore-database-release.html |title=ICIJ releases database revealing thousands of secret offshore companies · ICIJ |date=May 9, 2016 |website=icij.org |publisher=The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists |access-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509180916/https://panamapapers.icij.org/blog/20160509-offshore-database-release.html |archive-date=May 9, 2016 }}</ref>

In March 2018, Mossack Fonseca announced it would close down due to damage caused by the Panama Papers scandal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/14/mossack-fonseca-shut-down-panama-papers|title=Mossack Fonseca law firm to shut down after Panama Papers tax scandal|work=The Guardian|date=March 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314222823/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/14/mossack-fonseca-shut-down-panama-papers|archive-date=March 14, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2019, [[The Laundromat (2019 film)|''The Laundromat'']], a movie based on the events of the Panama Papers was released on the streaming service [[Netflix]]. Prior to this, Mossack and Fonseca issued a lawsuit<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |title=Netflix's 'The Laundromat' Goes On as Court Transfers Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/movies/laundromat-netflix-panama-papers.html |access-date=October 20, 2019 |agency=Associated Press |work=The New York Times |date=October 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020010127/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/movies/laundromat-netflix-panama-papers.html |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> in aim of preventing the release, citing defamation and potential damage to their rights of a fair trial by jury, should one begin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Panama Papers law firm founders 'investigated by the FBI' |url=https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/panama-papers-law-firm-founders-investigated-by-the-fbi/ |website=International Consortium of Investigative Journalists |date=October 16, 2019 |publisher=ICIJ |access-date=October 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020002335/https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/panama-papers-law-firm-founders-investigated-by-the-fbi/ |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 17, 2019, the judge, based in [[Connecticut]], refused the injunction citing lack of jurisdiction, and ordered the case be transferred to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maddaus |first1=Gene |title=Court Refuses to Block Netflix Release of 'The Laundromat' |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-laundromat-injunction-denied-1203375208/ |access-date=October 20, 2019 |publisher=Variety |date=October 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019232202/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-laundromat-injunction-denied-1203375208/ |archive-date=October 19, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The New York Times"/>