{"id":24693,"date":"2025-11-21T05:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/fugees-pras-michel-sentenced-over-illegal-obama-campaign-donations-nbc-los-angeles\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T05:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:00:02","slug":"fugees-pras-michel-sentenced-over-illegal-obama-campaign-donations-nbc-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/fugees-pras-michel-sentenced-over-illegal-obama-campaign-donations-nbc-los-angeles\/","title":{"rendered":"Fugees\u2019 Pras Michel sentenced over illegal Obama campaign donations \u2013 NBC Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Case<\/h2>\n

Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel \u201cPras\u201d Michel of the Fugees was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama\u2019s 2012 reelection campaign.
\n
\nMichel, 52, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him.<\/p>\n

The Conviction and Trial<\/h2>\n

In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel of 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The trial in Washington, D.C., included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.<\/p>\n

Prosecution’s Argument<\/h2>\n

Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, whom they said \u201cbetrayed his country for money\u201d and \u201clied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.\u201d \u201cHis sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

Defense Argument<\/h2>\n

Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg said his client’s 14-year sentence is \u201ccompletely disproportionate to the offense.\u201d Michel will appeal his conviction and sentence, according to his lawyer. Zeidenberg had recommended a three-year prison sentence. A life sentence would be an \u201cabsurdly high\u201d punishment for Michel given that it is typically reserved for deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders, Michel’s attorneys said in a court filing. \u201cThe Government\u2019s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and, if anything, simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results, and how poorly equipped they are, at least on this occasion, to determine a fair and just sentence,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

Background of Pras Michel<\/h2>\n

Michel, a Brooklyn native whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti, was a founding member of the Fugees along with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. Their hip-hop band won two Grammy Awards and sold tens of millions of albums.<\/p>\n

The Scheme<\/h2>\n

Michel obtained over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho \u2014 also known as Jho Low \u2014 and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama\u2019s campaign. Michel also tried to end a Justice Department investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial, prosecutors said. Low, who has lived in China, was one of the primary financiers of \u201cThe Wolf of Wall Street,\u201d a movie starring DiCaprio. Low is a fugitive but has maintained his innocence. \u201cLow\u2019s motivation for giving Mr. Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective. Instead, Low simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama,\u201d Michel\u2019s attorneys wrote.<\/p>\n

Trial Errors and New Trial Request<\/h2>\n

In August 2024, the judge rejected Michel\u2019s request for a new trial based in part on his defense attorney\u2019s use of a generative AI program during his closing of the trial\u2019s arguments. The judges said that and other trial errors didn\u2019t amount to a serious miscarriage of justice.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The sentencing of Pras Michel to 14 years in prison marks a significant conclusion to a case involving illegal campaign donations and foreign interference in U.S. politics. The case highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in political fundraising and the severe consequences of violating campaign finance laws.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n