Fugees star says money from Malaysia’s Jho Low was for Obama pic
American rapper Prakazrel Michel is accused of conspiring with financier Jho Low to influence the Obama and Trump administrations.
Rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees has said he received $20 million from Malaysian financier Jho Low to help him get his picture taken with former US President Barack Obama.
Michel faces criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance charges for allegedly colluding with Low to try to influence the administrations of Obama and former President Donald Trump.
Testifying in his own defense before a jury in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the Grammy winner said Low, who is now a fugitive and is accused of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB state investment fund, has not directed him to make campaign donations. to do with the money for the photo.
Michel said he used some of the money for three friends to attend $40,000 per plate fundraisers for Obama. Michel said he didn’t know it was inappropriate to do this.
“When you received the money from Jho Low, you used it to make political contributions,” said federal prosecutor John Keller in a Washington court.
“No,” Michel replied, defying expectations by testifying at the trial. “Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how to spend the money, because it’s my money.”
He described Low’s funds as “free money”.
It is illegal for foreigners to donate to U.S. election campaigns and pay anyone else to make a campaign contribution.
Michel is accused of involvement with Low in three schemes that prosecutors say paid him millions of dollars.
In the first case, prosecutors allege Michel violated federal election laws by funneling about $2 million from Low into Obama’s 2012 campaign coffers and masking the source of the money by using straw donors.
Michel is also accused of trying to persuade the Trump-era Justice Department to drop its civil and criminal investigations into Low over the 1MDB scandal, and of lobbying the US on behalf of Beijing to expel Chinese businessman Guo Wengui send to China.