GOP money man pleads guilty on foreign influence charge
A top Republican fundraiser has pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Elliott Broidy, a former deputy finance chairman for the Republican National Committee, conspired with others to influence the federal government on behalf of Malaysian financier Jho Low, he acknowledged on Tuesday.
Criminal charges for violations of the 1938 law had been rare in recent decades, and charges of conspiracy to violate FARA even rarer: As Broidy’s plea agreement notes, there are no applicable sentencing guidelines for the charge.
But FARA has come to the fore in President Donald Trump’s Washington, where global money and influence have flowed especially freely. The Justice Department signaled last year its intent to tighten enforcement, following the high-profile prosecutions of Trump lieutenants Paul Manafort and Rick Gates for charges that stemmed from their foreign lobbying work.
Broidy will forfeit $6.6 million as part of the deal.
Low, an international fugitive from justice, stands accused of masterminding the massive 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, fraud. He has denied wrongdoing and recruited a stable of American advisers, but has not come to the U.S. to face charges.
Broidy’s efforts on behalf of Low included attempts to soften the Trump administration's stance on the 1MDB fraud, and to bolster Beijing’s efforts to secure the extradition of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, an ally of Steve Bannon’s seeking asylum in the U.S.
Broidy was largely unsuccessful, but his efforts attracted the notice of federal prosecutors.
Nickie Lum Davis, a Hawaii-based political consultant, and George Higginbotham, a former Justice Department official, have already pleaded guilty for their efforts to help Low influence the government.
Musician Pras Michel, best known for his role in the rap group the Fugees, has pleaded not guilty to charges he helped Low conceal foreign contributions into groups backing President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Goldman Sachs would pay a $2.8 billion fine and that a subsidiary of the bank was expected to plead guilty to a criminal charge for its role in the 1MDB fraud.
Broidy is best known in Washington for his efforts to influence the Trump administration's Middle East policy while pursuing government contracts from the United Arab Emirates. Those efforts were exposed in reports based on Broidy’s hacked emails. Broidy has accused the UAE’s rival, Qatar, of orchestrating the hack, a charge the country denies.
What’s next: The plea agreement stipulates that Broidy will not face additional charges related to his efforts on behalf of Low, or his efforts to undermine Qatar while pursuing contracts from the UAE.
Broidy entered the plea at a virtual hearing before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the District of Columbia District Court. Public access to the hearing was permitted by calling into a conference line, but for much of the hearing the audio was unintelligible.
A status hearing is scheduled for February.
