FBI Seizes Retired US General’s Electronic Data over Qatar Lobbying

By Staff, Agencies

The FBI seized electronic data from John Allen, a retired four-star marine general and former leader of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan who authorities say made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents about his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of Qatar.

Allen is now president of the Brookings Institution, a prominent Washington think-tank, which said on Wednesday it had placed him on administrative leave.

On Wednesday, federal court filings obtained by the Associated Press and the New York Times outlined a potential criminal case against him.

Investigations of illegal lobbying on behalf of Middle Eastern countries has already ensnared Tom Barrack, a Trump donor who pleaded not guilty to illegal lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates; Richard G Olson, a former ambassador to the UAE and Pakistan who pleaded guilty to federal charges last week; and Imaad Zuberi, a political donor jailed for 12 years on corruption charges.

Several members of Congress have been interviewed.

Olson argued he cooperated with investigators and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges carrying prison time on the understanding authorities were also pursuing charges against Allen.

In May, an attorney for Olson said in court: “If in fact there is no case against Gen John Allen, we think that that is a significant piece of information for sentencing, just as we believe that an inducement to enter into this plea agreement is important to the court.”

News of the potential case against Allen caused an immediate stir.

Steve Schmidt, a former Republican operative and co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, called the story “shocking” and “a disgrace for the US Marine Corps”, adding: “The credibility of the Brookings Institution is on the line … Washington DC corruption has reached epic and unprecedented levels.”

Schmidt also linked Allen’s behavior to a congressional investigation of a business deal involving another senior figure in the Trump administration, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law who as a White House adviser was closely involved in Middle East policy.

“Jared Kushner walked out of the White House where he had access to the nation’s greatest secrets and signed a corrupt $2bn deal with the Saudis,” Schmidt wrote. “It should be covered as an espionage story. John Allen and Kushner are the same person. Allen’s entitlement was his service.”

Court filings reported by the AP and the Times detailed Allen’s efforts to help Qatar influence US policy in 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries announced a blockade of Qatar over alleged ties to terror groups and other issues. Donald Trump, then president, appeared to side against Qatar.

Court papers say Allen played an important role in shifting the US response. Authorities say he lobbied the then national security adviser, HR McMaster, then a serving army general, to have the administration adopt a more friendly tone.

In an email to McMaster, Allen said the Qataris wanted the White House or state department to call on all sides to “act with restraint.” Federal officials say the then secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, did just that two days later, calling on Gulf countries to “ease the blockade against Qatar” and asking “that there be no further escalation by the parties in the region.”

According to the court papers, Allen did not tell McMaster he was being paid for his work.

“There is substantial evidence that these Fara violations were willful,” an FBI agent, Babak Adib, wrote in a search warrant application, referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Apparently filed in error, the warrant was removed from the docket on Tuesday.