U.S. prosecutors seek broader powers to seize Russian oligarchs' assets

FILE PHOTO: Andrew Adams, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice's KleptoCapture task force, which is targeting Russian oligarchs and evasion of sanctions intended to pressure Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters in New York City, New York, U.S., April 1, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking broader authority from Congress to seize Russian oligarchs' assets as a means to pressure Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, a top prosecutor said on Tuesday.

In testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Andrew Adams, who leads the department's KleptoCapture task force, said Congress should let prosecutors seek forfeitures of assets used to evade U.S. sanctions, not just proceeds of sanctions evasions.