U.S. fines Exxon Mobil $2 million for violating sanctions on Russia

Record ID: 903434

  • Title: U.S. fines Exxon Mobil $2 million for violating sanctions on Russia
  • Date: 20th July 2017
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 20, 2017) (STATE TV - BROADCASTERS: NONE DIGITAL: NONE) WIDE SHOT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN HEATHER NAUERT, IN AN EXCHANGE WITH A REPORTER, SAYING: NAUERT: "The Secretary recused himself from his dealings with Exxon Mobil at the time he became Secretary of State. This all pre-dates his time here at the Department of State and so I am going to refrain from giving any comment on that at this time." REPORTER: "I understand this pre-dates his time as Secretary of State but now he is in a position in which he is part of the team that is supposed to enforce sanctions, not violate them or allow others to violate by them. So, I think it is relevant to know what he thinks about this decision today." NAUERT: "I think I will say this: the Secretary continues to abide by his ethical commitments, including that recusal from Exxon-related activities. The action was taken by the Department of State-, excuse me, the Department of the Treasury and State was not involved in this." REPORTER AT NEWS BRIEFING
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2017 20:50
  • Keywords: Exxon Mobil Rex Tillerson Russia Ukraine sanctions
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
  • Reuters ID: LVA0026QIX9HJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The United States on Thursday (July 20) admonished Exxon Mobil Corp for "reckless disregard" for U.S. sanctions in business dealings with Russia in 2014 when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was Exxon's CEO, and fined the firm $2 million.
    The global oil firm said the decision was "fundamentally unfair." The fine came after a U.S. review of deals Exxon signed with top Russian oil producer Rosneft weeks after the Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow for annexing the Crimean region of Ukraine.
    The heads of the company's U.S. subsidiaries signed eight documents between May 14 and May 23, 2014 with Igor Sechin, the head of Russia's largest oil producer, Rosneft, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement on its website.
    The violations took place while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was chief executive of Exxon Mobil.
    At the State Department, spokeswoman Heather Nauert referred questions regarding the matter to the U.S. Treasury Department but added that since assuming his present office, Tillerson has had no dealings with Exxon Mobil.
    "The Secretary continues to abide by his ethical commitments, including that recusal from Exxon-related activities," Nauert said.
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