Photo: Getty Images
Pras Michel is looking to get a pardon after he was convicted of federal conspiracy and corruption charges, and President Donald Trump is reportedly considering it.
According to a report The Hollywood Reporter published on Thursday, January 30, the Fugees rapper recruited attorney Adam Katz, who previously represented Rudy Guiliani, Steve Bannon and other questionable characters, to handle his clemency request. Although he began his appeal process, Michel began his mission to obtain a pardon after Corey Amundson, the head of the Justice Department’s public corruption unit that prosecuted the artist, quit last week. Michel's publicist Erica Dumas said the artist's legal team “is exploring all available options."
“We remain optimistic about potential paths forward," Dumas said.
In 2023, Michel was convicted of 10 counts including conspiracy, witness tampering and failure to register as an agent of China. He hasn't been sentenced yet, but he faces up to 22 years in prison. The New Jersey native was charged under the Foreign Agents Registration Act due to his alleged affiliation with notorious businessman Jho Low, who was accused of defrauding a Malaysian state sovereign wealth fund called 1MDB.
The U.S. government argued Michel acted as a middle man and money launderer on Low's behalf. They also claimed he tried to intervene in a long-running Justice Department investigation into Low’s alleged crimes and assist China in its attempt to extradite critic and billionaire Guo Wengui from the U.S.
Pras Michel and President Trump have known each other for quite some time. The Fugees artist featured Trump in an interlude on his 1998 debut solo album Ghetto Supastar. Trump appeared via voicemail and said, “I have no doubt that you’re going to be a big success ... I hope very soon you’re going to be in the leagues with me.”