Ex-DOJ black lawyer tells jury he met with Chinese to further illegal lobbying campaign

<https://news.yahoo.com/ex-doj-lawyer-tells-jury-213622538.html>

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former U.S. Department of Justice attorney told a 
jury on Thursday that he simultaneously worked on behalf of hip-hop artist 
Pras Michel, as part of an illegal foreign influence campaign to persuade 
the Trump administration to return a dissident to China.

George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working 
at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time 
friend. His duties included facilitating some of Michel's dealings with 
Jho Low, a businessman whom prosecutors say embezzled billions of dollars 
from Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

Higginbotham is the latest witness to testify for the government in the 
criminal trial against Michel, who is accused of accepting millions of 
dollars to carry out three different illegal lobbying campaigns on Low's 
behalf.

Other witnesses so far have included actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former 
Republican National Committee official Elliott Broidy.

Higginbotham said he felt uncomfortable when Michel asked him to pass 
along a message to the Chinese embassy in 2017 that the Trump 
administration was working on their request to extradite dissident Guo 
Wengui. But he did so anyway, telling the jury he let his friendship with 
Michel cloud his judgment.

"This could get me in a lot of trouble," he told the jury he recalled 
thinking, adding that his actions were "definitely outside of official 
lines."

Higginbotham, who pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role in the foreign 
influence campaign, testified that Justice Department investigators later 
found out about his meeting and questioned him.

A few months later, he agreed to fly to Hong Kong for a follow-up meeting 
with Low, after Michel assured him he "would never have to worry about DOJ 
again."

"Unfortunately, that is clearly not the case," Higginbotham added.

Higginbotham's conduct has since been highlighted in the Department of 
Defense's Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Stephen Coates)


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