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The Panama Papers, which opened a window into the world of secret bank accounts and money flows, help reveal the extent to which the global financial system is rigged to favor the wealthy and powerful, says Eryn Schornick, policy adviser at Global Witness, in this Burning Issues segment.

While much of the attention has been focused on overseas tax havens, Schornick notes that "the U.S. is one of the easiest places in the world for a corrupt politician or a criminal to create a company and hide the fact that they own it." These corporations can then outbid legitimate, transparently created companies for government contracts, take advantage of investors and customers and, of course, deprive governments of needed tax revenues.

Legislation pending in Congress would require corporations registered in the U.S. to disclose their true owners, and Schornick says that presidential candidates should be challenged to declare whether they would support such legislation.

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