Grammy-winning Fugees rapper Pras Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. A federal jury convicted Michel, 52, on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, in April 2023.
Prosecutors stated that Michel obtained over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, and used straw donors to channel some of this money to Obama's campaign. Michel was also accused of attempting to impede a Justice Department investigation into Low, tampering with witnesses, and perjuring himself.
Prosecutors argued that Michel "betrayed his country for money" and sought a sentence reflecting the gravity of his crimes and greed. Michel's defense attorney called the 14-year sentence "completely disproportionate" and announced plans to appeal the conviction and sentence, having previously recommended a three-year prison term.
The defense argued that a life sentence, as suggested by federal guidelines, would be an "absurdly high" punishment for Michel, typically reserved for individuals involved in deadly terrorism or drug cartels. Low's alleged motivation for providing the money to Michel was to obtain a photograph with President Obama, not for any policy objective.
In August 2024, the judge denied Michel's request for a new trial, finding that alleged trial errors did not constitute a miscarriage of justice.
