Fugees rapper Pras Michel found guilty of political conspiracy
Thursday 27 April 2023 04:53, UK
The trial featured high-profile witnesses such as Leonardo DiCaprio. The defence argued Michel simply wanted to make money and got bad legal advice as he reinvented himself in the world of politics.
Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel 'Pras' Michel has been convicted on criminal charges that he conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the US government under two presidents.
Prosecutors accused Michel of plotting with Malaysian billionaire businessman Jho Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
The Grammy-winning rapper from the 1990s hip-hop group was charged with 10 counts of crimes including acting as an unregistered foreign agent of China, witness tampering and falsifying campaign finance records. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The defence argued Michel simply wanted to make money and got bad legal advice as he reinvented himself in the world of politics.
His trial featured high-profile witnesses including Leonardo DiCaprio and former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Michel's lawyer David Kenner said he was "extremely disappointed" by the verdict, but remains hopeful the charges could be dismissed by the judge.
No sentencing date has been set.
Michel first met Low in 2006, when the businessman was dropping huge sums of money and hobnobbing with the likes of Paris Hilton.
He helped finance Hollywood films, including The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio testified Low had appeared to him as a legitimate businessman and had mentioned wanting to donate to Mr Obama's campaign.
Michel also testified in his own defence and said Low wanted a picture with Mr Obama in 2012 and was willing to pay millions of dollars to get it.
Michel said he received $20 million from Low to help him get the photo and used some of the money to pay for friends to attend fundraising events. No one had ever told him that was illegal, he said.
Prosecutors said Michel was donating the money on Low's behalf, and later tried to lean on the straw donors - a person who illegally uses another person's money to make a political contribution in their own name - with texts from burner phones to keep them from talking to investigators.
After the election of Donald Trump, prosecutors say Michel again took millions to halt an investigation into allegations Low masterminded a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB.
Low, who also faces separate federal charges in New York that he embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, remains at large.
Michel also got paid to try to persuade the US to extradite back to China a government critic suspected of crimes there without registering as a foreign agent, prosecutors said.
On that charge, the defence pointed to testimony from Mr Sessions, who was Mr Trump's top law enforcement officer until he resigned in 2018.
Mr Sessions said he had been aware the Chinese government wanted the extradition but did not know Michel. The rapper's ultimately futile efforts to arrange a meeting on the topic did not seem improper, the former attorney general said.
An English person asked whether the Chelsea players were scared to mark CGH. How do you mark CGH? Do you think that it's easy? Watch this video (the post is from 2021).
This deadly Norwegian has previously played in the Champions League final twice, in 2016 and 2018 when she played for Wolfsburg. They lost to Lyon on both occasions. Graham is a very fast, skilful and deadly winger or flanker who has added bite to Barca's attack since she was signed in 2019. She has the ability to make the ball stick to her feet like glue, race into the box and either deliver a pinpoint cross or score a spectacular goal, like this one below.
Graham and Messi score identical goals for Barcelona.
While Graham is on the right, the 2017 FIFA World Player of the Year and UEFA European Player of the Year, Lieke Martens is usually on the left. Although in recent times she has not got as much playing time as her fans would want and she has sometimes been played out of position, but nobody can deny the fact that Lieke is a powerful and deadly weapon when she's on the pitch. Her ability to deliver the killer pass, for example the pass that led to Asisat Oshoala's goal in the 2019 Champions League Final, and her ability to turn up for the big games are a huge asset for Barca. She scored the two goals against PSG (in the second leg of the semi-final) that brought Barca here.
Watch the combination between Graham on the right and Lieke on the left that led to the second goal.
Jennifer Hermoso is Barcelona Femeni's highest goal scorer ever. She played for Barca from 2014 till 2017, went to PSG and then Atletico Madrid and returned to Barca in 2019.
She can play as an attacking midfielder or as a false 9. She was the highest goal scorer in the Primera Ibredrola in the 2019/2020 season with 23 goals and she is the second highest goal scorer in the league so far this season. Here are some of her goals and assists from the 2019/2020 season.
Asisat Oshoala was Barcelona's highest goal scorer in all competitions in the 2019/2020 season. She comes packed with power, pace and an incredible level of athleticism that makes it almost impossible to mark her. Even when she's not scoring, she is constantly putting defenders under pressure, which paves the way for Jenni, Lieke or Graham to score. Will she be fit enough to play in this match? Only time will tell.
1) Tickets sold by Barcelona as at yesterday afternoon (some Barca fans are complaining that the club has not provided all the necessary information to make it easy for them to buy tickets online. They say that more tickets would have been sold if the club provided the information).
2) Tickets sold by Arsenal as at yesterday afternoon.
3) Barcelona squad for the match.
4) A picture of the Barcelona squad at Camp Nou after yesterday's training session.
Chelsea and Barcelona meet in their UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final second leg on Thursday 27 April at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona take a 1-0 lead to the Camp Nou thanks to Caroline Graham Hansen's superb fourth-minute goal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Chelsea recovered quickly to ensure no repeat of their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in the 2021 final, when all the goals came well before half-time. Even so, the dominant visitors could have added to their advantage in London and there was relief from Emma Hayes' side that the tie remains alive going into this return.
Another massive crowd is expected at the Camp Nou, where a record 91,648 watched last season's semi-final between Barcelona and Wolfsburg. And since the Blaugrana have scored 24 goals in their five previous European matches at the stadium over the last couple of seasons, Chelsea are under no illusions as to the scale of their task.
Pernille Harder's comeback on Saturday after five months out gives them hope, while Barcelona could have Asisat Oshoala available to start after the Nigeria forward was only fit enough for a substitute's role, Geyse leading the line in London. There is even the possibility that Alexia Putellas might make her first appearance of the season following her ACL injury in July, having played a full part in Wednesday training. Lucy Bronze has been ruled out after keyhole surgery on a knee problem.
Chelsea were missing injured centre-backs Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan in the first leg and although the Canadian might have been available on Thursday, manager Emma Hayes was pessimistic. Lauren James was left out of the starting line-up for tactical reasons at Stamford Bridge, and only came on at half-time when Chelsea switched away from their original 3-4-1-2 formation, Jelena Čanković supporting Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten up front.
Form guide
Barcelona
Last six games (most recent result first): WWWWWW Last match: Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona, 22/04 (UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final first leg) Where they stand: 1st in Spanish Liga
Chelsea
Last six games (most recent result first): LWWLLW Last match: Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona, 22/04 (UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final first leg) Where they stand: 3rd in Women's Super League, FA Cup final
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "If people think that we've already qualified, it's understandable, but as a coach I've made no mention of Sunday [the chance to clinch the Spanish title against Sporting de Huelva] or the [Women's Champions League] final. I show the players what to improve. We must forget the first leg and go out to win.
"[Bronze] has a strain, an ailment. It’s a tiny intervention, just a couple of weeks ... Alexia Putellas has a chance to make the squad, but there is still [Wednesday] training and we have to assess very carefully what to do so that when she returns, she returns well. We will not take any risk with Alexia. The priority is to qualify for the final. As a coach I will not take any risk if she is not 100%."
Aitana Bonmatí, Barcelona midfielder: "It would be great to reach our fourth Champions League final in front of our own fans at Camp Nou. But we can't get ahead of ourselves. We have a small advantage, but we are going out to win, regardless.
"We are waiting impatiently for Alexia's return, but everyone knows how important the game is to be able to reach our fourth final."
Emna Hayes, Chelsea manager: "This what we work for, we work to be in these positions. We know it's going to be a quick pitch, a big pitch, We know they are going to dominate the ball. For us, we know the areas we have to improve on to get opportunities, and I think we have players capable of doing that.
"But you have to suffer, and you suffer more against Barcelona than against anybody else. For us as a team, I think we showed in the previous game we can defend, and we are going to have to do it at an even higher level."
Magdalena Erilksson, Chelsea defender: "I went to Camp Nou when I was 13, in fact I saw Barcelona against Chelsea. It will be nice, but in terms of the game I have to treat it as any other match.
"Oshoala or Geyse? They are two great players with two different styles. It will be difficult no matter who plays."
Sports › Re: Barcelona VS Chelsea (Women's Champions League) At 5:45pm Today by naptu2(op): 11:50am On Apr 27, 2023
An English person asked whether the Chelsea players were scared to mark CGH. How do you mark CGH? Do you think that it's easy? Watch this video (the post is from 2021).
