DoJ is looking into whether there was an agreement between Jho Low and rap star Pras Michel to back efforts to re-elect Barack Obama in 2012 presidential campaign.
PETALING JAYA: Over US$1 million in political donations by rap star Pras Michel has come under scrutiny by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) following evidence that he received US$20 million from Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho around the same time.
Quoting people familiar with the investigation, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said investigators were looking into whether there was an agreement between Michel and Low, better known as Jho Low, to back efforts to re-elect former US president Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential campaign.
Documents reviewed by WSJ showed that Jho Low paid the money in 2012 to two limited-liability companies controlled by Michel.
The payments were made from offshore companies which the DoJ said were controlled by Jho Low, and were listed as a “gift” to the rap star, the documents said.
WSJ also noted that Michel had been a major donor to organisations that supported Obama’s campaign in 2012.
When contacted by the daily, Michel’s lawyer Kit Pierson declined to comment on the issue, saying only that a “false narrative” about Michel was in place.
“Both the predicates for your article and the conclusions you are reaching or implying are fundamentally mistaken,” Pierson was quoted as saying.
A spokeswoman for Obama likewise refused to comment.
According to the WSJ, donating money to a candidate on behalf of another person or company violates federal campaign-finance laws.
The offence can be punishable by jail time and/or fines.
Jho Low has been implicated by the DoJ in the alleged misappropriation of funds linked to 1MDB.
Prosecutors in Singapore have also named him as the central figure in probes linked to 1MDB, adding that he used money traceable to the state fund for his own benefit.
In court filings, the prosecutors said Low had received “huge” sums of money.
According to the filings, some US$1 billion that 1MDB purportedly invested in a joint venture with PetroSaudi International Ltd was diverted to a bank account beneficially owned by Jho Low, who has disappeared from the public eye.
Jho Low has denied any wrongdoing.
The views expressed in the contents are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of FMT.
lagi info di : Gosip Artis Terkini