Prakazrel “Pras” Michél testified Tuesday that an accused Malaysian embezzler who wanted his picture taken with President Barack Obama in 2012 gave $20 million to an Obama fundraising official to arrange for the photograph.
The official, Frank R. White Jr., head of a private equity firm and a national vice chairman of Obama’s reelection campaign, has invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to testify at Michél’s trial in U.S. District Court in Washington. White has not been charged with criminal wrongdoing., who authorities say orchestrated the theft of $4.5 billion from his country’s sovereign wealth fund starting in the late 2000s.
In June 2012, White was helping to organize a fundraising dinner for Obama at the Miami home of singer Marc Anthony, Michél testified. He said he met with White at a South Beach hotel. He said he left the meeting with the understanding that he should buy five tickets to the dinner, at $40,000 apiece, as a step toward Low getting his coveted photo.Michél said he bought the tickets with his own money and attended the dinner with four acquaintances.
At that point, Low still had not gotten his photograph. Michél testified that Low then gave White $20 million to arrange for the picture — meaning that the Malaysian money man, by Michél’s telling, doled out a total of $40 million for a chance to pose with Obama. He finally got his picture taken with the president at a Christmas event at the White House.
Another part of the prosecution’s case against Michél involves alleged illegal lobbying on behalf of foreign nationals, including the Chinese government.
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