Donor who gave nearly $1 million to Trump's inauguration will plead guilty to influencing U.S. elections with foreign cash

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

published 23 October 2019

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Imaad Shah Zuberi, a 49-year-old California venture capitalist and prolific political donor, had pleaded guilty to "falsifying records to conceal his work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials." The charging document does not name any of the recipients of Zuberi's illegal campaign contributions, though his $900,000 contribution to President Trump's inaugural fund put Zuberi on the map for federal prosecutors in New York. Zuberi previously donated to Democrats, including former President Barack Obama.

"In addition to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Zuberi is charged in a criminal information with tax evasion and making almost $1 million in illegal campaign contributions that included funneling money from foreign entities and individuals to influence U.S. elections," the Justice Department said. "While some U.S. officials were willing to take action on issues Zuberi put forward, most of Zuberi's business efforts were unsuccessful and his clients suffered significant losses."

The Justice Department singled out Zuberi's work on behalf of Sri Lanka and for a Bahraini citizen seeking U.S. pressure on Bahrain to lift sanctions. Zuberi also reportedly worked with Michael Cohen, then Trump's personal lawyer and fixer, to leverage their connection with Trump to obtain lucrative business deals. Zuberi faces up to 15 years in prison once he pleaded guilty.

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"This case should deter individuals who seek to provide false statements to the department and covertly influence our political process on behalf of foreign governments," Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement. "The Department of Justice treats these crimes with the gravity that they deserve and will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and prosecute FARA violations."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.