Rapper Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for 'Illegal Campaign Fund Transfer' to Obama Campaign

Prominent American rapper and member of the hip-hop group Fugees, Pras Michel has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for illegally transferring foreign funds to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Local media reported that Judge Colin Callahan of the Washington D.C. federal court sentenced Michel to 14 years in prison.

Guilty Verdict on 10 Charges

In April 2023, Pras Michel was found guilty on a total of 10 charges, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, by a federal jury.

Prosecutors from the Department of Justice claimed that Michel "betrayed the country for financial gain" and "continuously made false statements without remorse during the execution of his plan."

In response, Michel's defense team stated that the 14-year sentence was "excessively harsh punishment compared to the criminal acts" and announced plans to appeal the guilty verdict and sentence.

Linked to Malaysia's 1MDB Scandal

This case is related to the key figure in Malaysia's massive financial scandal, 1MDB, financier Jho Low (real name Low Taek Jho).

In 2019, investigators concluded that Michel received over $120 million (approximately 177 billion won) from Jho Low while attempting to provide funds to former President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign to expand political influence in the U.S., and donated part of it to the campaign. Michel's attorney argued in court that Jho Low "only wanted a photo with President Obama" and defended that there were no illegal policy objectives.

Michel also faced charges for lobbying the Trump administration to drop charges against Jho Low or resolve the case starting in 2017, and for advocating the extradition of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui while in the U.S. Currently, Jho Low is on the run and claims his innocence.

Michel, a member of the hip-hop group Fugees, which gained immense popularity in the 1990s and won two Grammy Awards, is known to have had a close relationship with former President Obama, who reportedly listed Fugees' hit song 'Ready or Not' as one of his favorite songs, making this case even more shocking.