This is the text of a presentation by Stef Cassella at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government on June 9, 2026. It sets forth the rationale for using asset forfeiture as a law enforcement tool, outlines the theories of forfeiture embodied in the various asset forfeiture statutes, and discusses administrative, civil and criminal forfeiture procedure in a format designed to provoke discussion among graduate students in public policy. It concludes with a large number of examples of how the government has used asset forfeiture in criminal and civil cases involving international money laundering, cryptocurrency fraud, and public corruption.
