WHAT?

Fugees Rapper Says Malaysian Businessman Paid Him $1M to Get a Picture With Obama

“I looked at it as free money.”

Former Fugees rapper Pras Michel claimed in court on Tuesday that he was paid $1 million by billionaire fugitive Jho Low to help get Low a picture with Barack Obama. Michel is standing trial for conspiracy, foreign lobbying, and campaign finance charges over allegations that he illegally used the Malaysian businessman’s money to influence the administrations of Obama and Donald Trump. Low, who is on the lam after being accused of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, asked Michel for help setting up a picture of him with Obama in 2012, Michel said. “I looked at it as free money,” Michel said, adding that he never intended to break any laws. He added that he gave the cash to his friends to go to a $40,000-a-plate Obama campaign dinner. “I thought that I could just give my friends” cash to donate to the former president's campaign, Michel testified, adding: “I had some friends who didn’t donate and kept the money.”