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Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel finds himself in the middle of a $21 million campaign finance fraud case with international implications. According to the DOJ, Michel conspired with a Malaysian businessman regarding campaign contributions to former U.S. President Barack Obama

Bloomberg reports:

According to an indictment unsealed Friday in Washington, Low transferred $21.6 million to Pras Michel, a musician and film producer, who spread approximately $865,000 among 20 people. These straw donors, in turn, gave the cash to a presidential fundraising committee without indicating it had come from a foreign source. Michel also sent more than $1 million to an independent election committee, prosecutors said.

The charges, against both men, show a wide-ranging effort by the Malaysian financier to win influence in the U.S. In an indictment last year, Low and Michel weren’t charged but were identifiable as co-conspirators trying to influence the Trump administration as the Justice Department investigated the 1MDB scandal.

Legal representation for both men say that their client is innocent and welcome a trial to examine the DOJ’s findings in the case.

To read the DOJ’s announcement of the charges against Michel and Low Taek Jho, click here.

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Photo: Getty

Source: HipHopWired.com

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