Former Fugees rapper, Pras Michel, is on trial with the Washington Federal Court following an indictment alleging that Pras Michel engaged in the illegal funneling of money into former President Obama’s campaign from a Malaysian government fund.
The charges stem from an alleged relationship between Pras and a Malaysian businessman, Low Taek Jho. The indictment alleges that Pras began a relationship in which he used $100 million dollars from Low to effect two schemes of political subversion: procuring attendees for a fundraising dinner for Obama and reimbursing them using $40,000 of stolen money to buy their silence; and again to bribe the Trump administration into dropping their investigation into Low.
Low Taek Jho is a Malaysian businessman who has been on the run from authorities (including presently, leaving Pras to defend himself without Low’s statements) for his part in the 1MDB Malaysian fund scheme. The scheme, run as a joint venture between Low and a Saudi royal, led to them stealing billions of dollars from a fund originally conceived to alleviate poverty.
Low used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle in the US, pay lawyers to protect his interests, and eventually obtain favor amongst the highest personnel within the US government.
Pras is not alone in his legal woes as several of Hollywood’s who’s who, bankers and politicians are facing scrutiny, including Leonardo DiCaprio (who is not being accused of a crime but was the benefactor of Low’s funding for his movie The Wolf of Wall Street, and his environmental initiatives), Kim Kardashian, Goldman Sachs, and casino mogul Steve Wynn to name a few.
However, Pras is one of the most heavily charged to date, facing: money laundering, campaign finance violations, acting as an unregistered agent for foreign nationals, and witness tampering. More charges are pending.
Pras entered a plea of not guilty, claiming that he did not intend to break any laws, and, in a TMZ interview, claimed that the money he donated to former President Barack Obama was his own personal money.
In contrast, federal prosecutors contend that Pras knowingly played his part in the scheme. Prosecutor Nicole Lockhart was quoted as saying to the jury: “This is a case about foreign money, foreign influence, and concealment. The defendant wanted money and was willing to break any laws necessary to get paid.”
