in World News Obama Accepted AT LEAST 21.6 Million in FOREIGN Donations for 2012 Re-Election
This news broke Friday of last week, but, as is par for the course, it just wasn’t big enough news to make most of your trusted news sources. Want proof? Do a Google search. You will find a few of those “red” Newsguard sites covered the story if you dig deep enough in the search results, but the mainstream seemed to mostly ignore this even happened.
From Shepherd Ambellas:
According to reports circulating at the highest levels in Washington, former U.S. President Barack H. Obama’s political campaign received at least $21.6 million in illegal foreign campaign contributions during the runup to the 2012 presidential election.
The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday that Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho and former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel have been charged with conspiracy after allegedly funneling tens of millions of dollars into Obama’s campaign fund.
According to David J Harris, “As you are probably aware, foreigners and foreign companies are forbidden by law to contribute to political campaigns. They are especially not allowed to funnel 21.6 million dollars from foreign donors to a campaign. The feds indicted Pras Michel, a rapper for the group ‘The Fugees’ on Friday for funneling tens of millions of dollars to the 2012 Obama reelection fund. Jho Low was indicted last year on conspiracy charges related to a scam from which he will be facing charges that he bilked investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Low provided the money to Pras Michel.”
Here is the DOJ Report, in full:
Entertainer/Businessman and Malaysian Financier Indicted for Conspiring to Make and Conceal Foreign and Conduit Contributions During 2012 U.S. Presidential Election
A United States entertainer and businessman and a Malaysian financier were charged in a four-count indictment unsealed today in the District of Columbia for conspiring to make and conceal foreign and conduit campaign contributions during the United States presidential election in 2012, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, 46, and Low Taek Jho, 37, also known as “Jho Low,” were charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States government and for making foreign and conduit campaign contributions. Michel also was charged with one count of a scheme to conceal material facts and two counts of making a false entry in a record in connection with the conspiracy. Michel appeared today for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey in the District of Columbia. Low remains at large.
According to the indictment, between June 2012 and November 2012, Low directed the transfer of approximately $21,600,000 from foreign entities and accounts to Michel for the purpose of funneling significant sums of money into the United States presidential election as purportedly legitimate contributions, all while concealing the true source of the money. To facilitate the excessive contributions and conceal their true source, Michel paid approximately $865,000 of the money received from Low to about 20 straw donors, or conduits, so that the straw donors could make donations in their names to a presidential joint fundraising committee. In addition, Michel personally directed more than $1 million of the money received from Low to an independent expenditure committee also involved in the presidential election in 2012.