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Fugees Rapper Pras Michel Found Guilty in Sprawling Lobbying Case

Michel was accused of helping the Chinese Government influence U.S. politics.

Pras Michel, the Grammy-winning rapper and former member of the Fugees, was found guilty Wednesday over his role in a sprawling international conspiracy to help China influence the U.S. government. Michel was accused of taking money to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to top officials like Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The musician testified that Low had paid him $20 million in 2012 to get a photo with Obama, $800,000 of which Michel covertly funneled into the president’s re-election campaign. Prosecutors said that Low came to Michel again in 2017 when his 1MDB Malaysian wealth fund was being investigated, and paid Michel $100 million to urge the Trump administration to drop the case. Michel was also accused of advocating for the extradition of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui on behalf of the Chinese government. The rapper, who still denies any wrongdoing, was found guilty on 10 criminal charges.