Campaign Finance and Foreign Influence

Former Fugees member Pras Michel was sentenced to 14 years (168 months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for his role in an illegal scheme to funnel donations to Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign; Michel declined to address the court. Prosecutors said he obtained more than $120 million from Malaysian financier Jho Low and used straw donors, and also cited attempts to thwart the DOJ probe, witness tampering and perjury (the trial featured testimony from Leonardo DiCaprio and former AG Jeff Sessions); DOJ said federal guidelines recommended a life term, the defense — which had sought a three-year sentence — called the 14-year term disproportionate and will appeal, noting other disparate outcomes, and the judge previously denied a motion for a new trial over the defense’s use of generative AI.