DOJ Indictment - A Former DOJ Employee Pleads Guilty. Links 1MDB, Bribes, Jho Low, Fugees Rapper Pras Michael, Clinton, Obama https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-justice-department-employee-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-deceive-us-banks-about-millions A former employee with the U.S. Department of Justice pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to deceive banks in the United States about the source and purpose of millions of dollars sent from overseas to finance a lobbying campaign on behalf of foreign interests. Higginbotham helped facilitate the transfer of tens of millions of dollars from foreign bank accounts to accounts in the United States to finance a lobbying campaign to resolve civil and criminal matters related to the Department of Justice’s investigation of the embezzlement and bribery scheme concerning 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).  Higginbotham admitted that the foreign principal behind the lobbying campaign was alleged to be the primary architect of the 1MDB scheme.  Higginbotham, as a Justice Department employee, played no role in any aspect of the investigation and failed to influence any aspect of the Department’s investigation of 1MDB.  Higginbotham further admitted that another purpose of the lobbying campaign was an attempt to persuade high-level U.S. government officials to have a separate foreign national, who was residing in the United States on a temporary visa at the time, removed from the United States and sent back to his country of origin.  Source The former DOJ employee, George Higginbotham, a senior congressional affairs specialist who worked there as late as August, has admitted to attempting to assist the funding of a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign orchestrated by this “prime architect of 1MDB’ to influence the civil and criminal cases involving the fund. It is assumed the term ‘prime architect’ refers to fugitive financier Jho Low, who has engaged numerous agencies, lawyers and PR firms to advocate his position or his boss, ex-Malaysian PM, Najib Razak. Tens of millions of dollars are claimed to have been involved and assisting as a front in these transfers was none other than the US rap singer Pras Michael, who has already been identified as a close friend of Jho Low’s involved in previous schemes linked to 1MDB. This particular scheme to get conspirators off the hook over 1MDB took place as late as 2017. Key Role By US Rap Star Pras Michael The 23 page court filing on the case provides astonishing details about the alleged multi-million dollar conspiracy, including the freezing of $73 million which the DOJ says was money laundered by the defendants. Controlling the bank accounts allegedly being used to fund the lobbying operation was none other than the rap star Pras Michael, who was earlier identified in the Global Leaks material as the individual being used by Jho Low to pay lawyer Robin Broidy. Pras Michael was also connected to what appears to have been a parallel scheme to attempt to influence the Obama administration, exposed by Sarawak Report in a series of investigations starting in 2015. The singer was a partner of a relative and key fundraiser for Obama named Frank White, whose company DuSable was granted a major contract as part of a proposed solar power launched by 1MDB, which never materialised. In a bizarre change of direction DuSable was subsequently awarded the role as fund manager for a vast new half billion dollar investment vehicle set up between the Abu Dhabi fund Aabar and a joint venture partner (suspected by Sarawak Report as being 1MDB) named Yurus. Frank White’s partner in managing the Yurus fund was none other than Pras Michael, who seems to have emerged as a front for Jho Low. The entire Yurus venture was closed down shortly after Sarawak Report exposed Frank White’s connections with Malaysia, but not before DuSable appears to have received a $69 million management fee. Sarawak Report also identified thousands of dollars, which were later paid from DuSable into several democrat campaigns. Jho’s Hong Kong Bank Account The indictment continues to detail how the team of US lobbyists assured Jho they could successfully work to frustrate the Dept of Justice’s cases against him, supporting rumours that the State Department had warned that if Najib lost power there could be violence in Malaysia. They were paid through Jho Low’s Hong Kong bank account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Interesting to note a connection to Clinton/Obama through Frank Wright and DuSable Source Frank White was subsequently a member of Hillary’s 2016 national finance committee, and the Whites hosted more than one fundraiser for her during the 2016 campaign cycle.  They had sponsored at least one earlier in 2015, in late April or early May. But there’s more.  The Whites definitely weren’t on the periphery of the Obama circle.  Frank White’s sister, Mary, is the wife of a cousin of Michelle Obama, Rabbi Capers Funnye.  Funnye and Michelle Obama reportedly knew each other as children, although they became closer as adults. Moreover, Mr. White appears to have been something of a go-to fundraising entrepreneur for the Democratic Party after the 2012 election.  He is under investigation for using a firm he created in 2013, DuSable Capital, to move money around in obscure ways while consulting for a government-owned investment fund in Malaysia, 1MDB.  DuSable was purportedly created to invest in alternative energy ventures, but seemed to be getting paid when things weren’t actually happening, at least not in terms of alternative energy projects being developed. Pras Michel Rap Star Connections Source Pras Michel is reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department for receiving $20 million from a Malaysian fund just before he emerged as a major donor to groups supporting former President Barack Obama is also a Clinton Foundation donor. The investigation into rapper Pras Michel, best known as a founding member of the Fugees, is centered on his relationship with Malaysian financier Jho Low, whom the DOJ believes is behind a $4.5 billion fraud scheme, the Wall Street Journal reported this week. Michel received $20 million in "gifts" from Low in 2012—about the same time that he gave nearly $1.3 million to a Super PAC supporting Obama's reelection, gave $40,000 to the Obama Victory Fund, and gave $20,000 to become a founding member of Obama's Organizing for Action advocacy group. Michel's money also flowed to the Clinton Foundation, which discloses on its website that it received between $50,001 and $100,000 from Michel. The Clinton Foundation doesn't disclose when contributions were received, and did not respond to inquiries into the contribution from Michel. A legal representative for Michel also did not respond to inquiries into the time and reason for his contributions to the foundation. The Clinton Foundation also received between $1 million and $5 million from Frank White, a top fundraiser for both Obama and Clinton who partnered with Michel to found DuSable Capital Management LLC, a firm that has done major business with the Malaysian fund targeted by DOJ. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment when asked whether the contributions to the Clinton Foundation were being looked at in the probe.