James Martinelli

James Martinelli serves as the Acting Associate Director for the Policy Division of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). In this position, he oversees FinCEN’s regulatory functions and leads the staff that defines the framework for protecting the U.S. financial system from money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit finance activity. The Policy Division is responsible for drafting complex and diverse Bank Secrecy Act rules and clarifying guidance, issuing regulatory rulings, and addressing broader strategic policy issues in the area of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Previously, James served as the Director of FinCEN’s Office of Regulatory Policy, as well as Section Chief for Regulatory Interpretation, where he oversaw FinCEN’s efforts related to
rulemaking and regulatory guidance and interpretation, and provided senior FinCEN and
Treasury leadership with policy and regulatory expertise on complex anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism issues.

James also has prior experience at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) where he was a Senior Sanctions Policy Advisor, providing guidance to
senior Treasury, U.S. Department of State, and National Security Council officials on U.S.
sanctions policy, particularly with respect to OFAC’s North Korea and Russia sanctions
programs.

James received a B.A. in History, with a minor in Classical Humanities, from The George
Washington University, and his M.A. in International Relations from the University of
Oklahoma.