Elizabeth Warren penned a letter with Sen. Sherrod Brown calling for the Treasury Department to investigate U.S. companies and persons involved with Mossack Fonseca. | Getty Warren, Brown: Treasury should probe Panama Papers scandal for U.S. links

Two Democratic senators on Thursday said the Treasury Department needs to investigate whether U.S. individuals were involved in misconduct associated with the law firm at the center of the Panama Papers scandal now roiling capitals around the globe.

The Justice Department has said it is aware of the Panama Papers reports about possible tax avoidance among the world's rich and famous people stemming from a leak of information from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm, but it has been cagey about what it is doing beyond looking at the news accounts.


But Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren say the Treasury Department has a role to play too.

“We strongly urge the Treasury Department to exercise its full authority to investigate whether any U.S. or U.S.-linked company or person involved with Mossack Fonseca may have facilitated money laundering, terrorist financing or other illegal activity, including with any U.S.-designated persons,” they said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.

“We are particularly concerned about whether companies or individuals involved with or utilizing the services of this firm may have facilitated money laundering or terrorist financing with sanctioned persons or entities,” such as those on Treasury’s “Specially Designated Nationals” list, they said.

A Treasury spokeswoman said the agency will not comment specifically on the Panama Papers’ findings.