• Congress’s report deemed these comments to be misleading in light of emails from Treasury Department staff that recommended criminal charges.
• The bank, which has its headquarters in London, paid a $1.92bn (£1.48bn) settlement but did not face criminal charges .
• The report says Mr Holder ignored the recommendations of more junior staff to prosecute HSBC because of the bank’s “systemic importance” to the financial markets.
• The report alleges the UK “hampered” the probe and “influenced” the outcome.
• US officials refused to prosecute HSBC for money laundering in 2012 because of concerns within the Department of Justice that it would cause a “global financial disaster”, a report says.

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