Who is Rudolf Elmer, WikiLeaks' newest leaker?
Former Swiss bank executive Rudolf Elmer with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange.
January 17th, 2011
11:19 AM ET

Who is Rudolf Elmer, WikiLeaks' newest leaker?

On Monday in London, a former Swiss bank executive gave WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange two discs with the names of prominent individuals and companies the executive says are involved in tax evasion and other crimes.

Rudolf Elmer would not say where he obtained the information or which banks were involved. The discs outline wrongdoing by several dozen politicians and "pillars of society," he said. His motivation? He wants to "educate our society," he said. "I know how the system works. ... It's damaging."

Elmer was fired in 2002 from the Julius Baer Group. He ran the bank's Cayman Islands office for eight years. On Wednesday, he will go to trial in Switzerland on charges that he stole bank information. Elmer was reportedly held for a month in 2005, accused of falsifying documents and threatening people at the bank, among other allegations.

Julius Baer released this statement about Elmer: "After his demands (including financial compensation) in connection with the dismissal could not be satisfied, Mr Elmer embarked in 2004 on a personal intimidation campaign and vendetta against Julius Baer. The aim of his activities was and is to discredit Julius Baer as well as clients in the eyes of the public."

In 2008, WikiLeaks published hundreds of pages of secret Julius Baer banking records.

In addition to Elmer, Assange is also facing charges. Assange's sex crime investigation continues to play out in Sweden as he remains out of jail on bail. Assange is due in court in London in early February.

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Filed under: Julian Assange • WikiLeaks
soundoff (72 Responses)
  1. OjaiGuy

    Well, I guess if Wikileaks is going to take credit for Tunisia falling, they should take responsibility for the deaths, beatings and other bloodshed/riots taking place.

    January 17, 2011 at 1:31 pm | Report abuse |
  2. PoliceState

    This article misrepresents the news. It makes a claim, by Julius Baer, that Rudolf Elmer engaged in what amounts to blackmail without substantiating or dismissing the claim. Has Rudolf Elmer been charged with this crime? Was he acquitted? Without this information, the article smears Rudolf Elmer. This is not fair and balanced.

    January 17, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Jack Dallas TX

    Assange and Elmer might be careful..they might end up in the same place Hoffa ended up...whereever that might have been. I am sure that the guy that ran the Cayman Islands bank never did anything illegal or bad...I am sure he isn't a multi-millionaire just a poor banker....I suspect they caught him with his fingers in the pot and he is just getting back at them. No one would take the Cayman job and not know about offshore accounts unless he was an utter idiot. He knew he just wanted more and is now getting even with his old bosses.

    January 17, 2011 at 2:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • Brainfreeze

      Well now Jack, you have it all figured out I see.
      Blame the whistler blowers, good job.

      January 17, 2011 at 2:32 pm | Report abuse |
  4. MJY

    They all deserve each other.

    January 17, 2011 at 2:23 pm | Report abuse |
  5. hombresincamisa

    It is the rich and powerful that are scurrying for the darkness.It will always be so because power breeds corruption. Let the light shine Wkileaks. Thank you.

    January 17, 2011 at 2:27 pm | Report abuse |
  6. ric

    I just took a leak

    January 17, 2011 at 2:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • Brainfreeze

      ric, wrong site, Fox News is down the street.

      January 17, 2011 at 2:35 pm | Report abuse |
  7. EZ

    I would like to know what is in Area 51.

    January 17, 2011 at 2:32 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Compass

    I'm a bit confused here. People are concerned the government are hiding stuff from the people, and people cheer. Now, people are hiding stuff from the aforementioned "questionable" government, and the same people... cheer?

    January 17, 2011 at 2:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • rebecca

      I don't think the same people are cheering. The rich and powerful ARE part of the government and corporations. There is a revolving door. They go back and forth between the two. Their friends do to. Its a fraternity of power that maintains its own existence and passes it off to their family and friends. Its a sort of hierarchy. Ex. Dick Cheney worked for Haliburton, and then is all of a sudden VP and all of a sudden their getting contracts in Iraq. They all have the same interests in mind. They all hide money as they create the laws to prevent us (the small people) from hiding money. They create the loopholes that they use to hide the money.

      January 17, 2011 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse |
  9. naun34

    This will be interest.....maybe sweet revenge. lol

    January 17, 2011 at 2:55 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Carlos

    Assange played his cards wrong. He should have have stayed in the shadows rather than step out into the lime light. That's what happens when you want to become famous. He's just as greedy as those who are rich and powerful.

    January 17, 2011 at 3:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Cesar

    Test test

    January 17, 2011 at 3:14 pm | Report abuse |
  12. raven

    Its a little ironic how the people who use overseas accounts do so to avoid scrutiny and this will have just the opposite effect making thier finances transparent .

    January 17, 2011 at 3:30 pm | Report abuse |
  13. pooch

    yay!

    January 17, 2011 at 3:38 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Rick

    Rudolf Elmer .....NICE PRISON NAME. RUDOLF YOU JUST DISTRIBUTED STOLEN MATERIALS....

    January 17, 2011 at 4:11 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Eric of Reseda

    IT'S BEEN SAID, but all you MORONS that knock Assange just don't get it. You b#@ch around the water coolers about corrupt banks and governments, EVEN SUFFER AT THEIR HANDS, but when someone comes along who can expose the corruption, LIKE SHEEP, you buy into 'official" versions of the truth, which of course are designed to discredit brave men and women like Assange. LIKE SHEEP!

    January 17, 2011 at 4:20 pm | Report abuse |
    • jim

      Suppose we all accept that Assange has ironclad proof of corruption at the highest levels of business and government. What do you think is going to be done about it? What are YOU going to do about it (besides type silly little insults at your betters)? The fact is, the truth doesn't make you free, it only makes you bitter!

      January 17, 2011 at 4:51 pm | Report abuse |
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