What foreign lobbying campaigns did Pras Michel orchestrate?

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Prakazrel "Pras" Michel Convicted for Orchestrating Foreign Lobbying Campaigns

Prakazrel "Pras" Michel, a member of the Grammy-winning group The Fugees, has been convicted of conspiring with Malaysian financier Jho Low to orchestrate foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the United States government. These efforts specifically targeted the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Michel faced multiple charges, including conspiracy, acting as an agent of a foreign government, witness tampering, and falsifying campaign finance records.
Efforts to Influence Obama Administration

Prosecutors accused Michel of facilitating a scheme to funnel approximately US$2 million from Jho Low into President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. This was allegedly done to circumvent federal election laws, which prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to U.S. campaigns, by masking the source of the funds. Michel testified that the US$20 million he received from Low was intended to help Low obtain a photograph with President Obama. While Michel admitted to using some of this money to pay for three friends to attend political fundraisers for Obama's 2012 campaign, he denied acting at Low's specific direction, stating he had discretion over how the money was spent.
Attempts to Influence Trump Administration and Justice Department

Beyond the alleged efforts during the Obama administration, Michel was also accused of attempting to influence the Justice Department under the Trump administration. Specifically, he was charged with seeking to persuade the department to drop civil and criminal investigations into Jho Low concerning the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Low himself faces separate federal charges related to the alleged embezzlement of US$4.5 billion from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.
Lobbying on Behalf of China

In addition to the actions related to Jho Low, Michel was accused of lobbying the U.S. government on behalf of China. The objective of this campaign was to secure the extradition of Chinese billionaire and dissident Guo Wengui back to China. Michel stated on the witness stand that he had passed information to the FBI regarding China's desire for Guo's extradition, citing concerns from China that Guo was an alleged criminal. He also indicated that his attorney at the time had not informed him of the legal requirement to register as a foreign agent.

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What foreign lobbying campaigns did Pras Michel orchestrate?

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