A member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet admitted lying to federal agents about taking an illegal $50,000 loan, while serving in the White House, from an African billionaire who was once on a terrorist watch list.
The United States Justice Department revealed Wednesday that former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had lied during a federal investigation into illegal campaign contributions from Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury.
“During an interview with the FBI in 2017, LaHood initially denied receiving the loan, but later acknowledged the payment after being shown a copy of the $50,000 check he received in 2012, according to a non-prosecution agreement LaHood signed with federal prosecutors in Los Angeles,” POLITICO reports.
“Under the deal struck in 2019, federal prosecutors agreed not to file criminal charges over the omissions and misstatement, while LaHood agreed to pay a $40,000 fine and to repay the loan,” POLITICO added.
LaHood, who served as Obama’s Transportation Secretary from 2009 to 2013, was previously a Republican member of Congress from Illinois, known for his efforts to push the Republican Party to the left.
As a member of the liberal “Main Street Partnership,” LaHood was a critic of the Tea Party and publicly criticized 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
The loan was discovered during a federal investigation into Chagoury, who routed $180,000 into the campaigns of several Republican candidates by giving the cash to Americans and directing them to make the contributions in their names.
It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate to American political campaigns, as well as for someone to supply money for donations made in someone else’s name. The candidates who received the contributions were not aware they came from Chagoury. Chagoury agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine and appears to be assisting the U.S. government with other investigations.
“Federal prosecutors entered into the deferred prosecution agreement considering, among other factors, Chagoury’s unique assistance to the U.S. government, his payment of a fine, Chagoury’s acceptance of responsibility for his actions, and his residence outside the United States,” Wednesday’s Justice Department statement reads.
Chagoury, who was once on the United States’ “no-fly list” for ties to the Hezbollah terrorist group, also donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and had multiple contacts within former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department.
Michael Brigham
Michael Brigham has written for American Action News since the summer of 2019. His areas of expertise include foreign affairs, government, and politics, but regardless of the subject matter, he has a nose and an insatiable appetite for news. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, watching a mix of comedies and true crime documentaries, and spending time away from the swamp hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Oh yes, the most corruption free administration, so they crowed. The one in now is worse. Those demorats are quite the liars
Haha.
You, friend, are quite the understater.
Liars, eh, ya, but definitely sewer rats infested with lice.
DO YOU THINK HE WILL BE PUT IN JAIL /FINED? HAHAHAHAHA TO THAT THOUGHT
THE DEM’S WHO WILL NEVER BE SENT TO PRISON – NO MATTER THE CRIME INVOLVING THE GOVERNMENT NOR ANYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DONE CRIMINALLY WHEN NOT IN OFFICE.
THESE ARE ALSO CRIMES AGAINST THE UNITED STATES – TREASON PERHAPS, ETC. AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION PERHAPS?
1) HILLARY CLINTON
2) BILL CLINTON
3) ERIC HOLDER
4) OBAMA
5) BIDEN AND SON HUNTER
6) JOHN BRENNAN AND CLAPPER
7) JOHN KERRY
8) CUOMO
9) ERIC SWALWELL
10) PELOSI
11) OMAR AND TALIEB – PRO TERRORIST ADVOCATES
12) SHIFTY SHIFT AND NADLER
OH, MY FINGERS ARE STARTING TO HURT – TOO MANY MORE THAT SHOULD BE LOCKED UP.
It all makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t see myself going forward until 2020 election is being dealt with. I can’t accept that Judges refused to HEAR cases. If they had heard the cases and then made decisions that I disapproved of I could accept that. However I can’t accept that they refused to hear them.
Add Susan Rice and Samantha Power to the list!! Susan Rice as Obama UN Ambassador now in Biden Domestic Policy lied about Benghazi to the American people and disclosed the identity of Americans under surveillance in the just elected Trump Admin in violation of Intel laws and Samantha Power, now Biden USAID Director as Obama UN Ambassador also disclosed the identity of them elected Trump Admin in transition to the White House in violation of Iintel laws. Obama’s Secretaries broke too many laws but we know only the little people like you and I go to jail!!
globalists and globalist puppet $oro$ and globalist puppet barry soetoro appointed all the correct criminals to the correct positions to protect all their criminals .
John 14:1-3. IF you want hope.
Most of those on that list are either executed or awaiting trial at Gitmo. What you are seeing on TV or Social Media is actors, CGI or holograms or body doubles and clones
Barbara –
That is quire a listing you have there. I do admire your rectitude. I think I would have gotten physically ill before I had finished such a listing. But, in truth, such a list should be placed before the eyes of the American public every day, to remind people just how rotten the Democrat Party has become, in modern times (since 1955 or so).
Barbara you forget 2 that really need to go PILLOUSER and schmucker, oh lest I forget all CNN, MSNBC and that late nite guy what’s his name cobert or something!
“Under the deal struck in 2019, federal prosecutors agreed not to file criminal charges”. The two tier justice system strikes again. Democrats get away with murder, Republicans get murdered…
What a system ; just admit you
re guilty and they wont prosecute you. Just pay and it goes away. Should call it the pay and away play.DOJ,
What are you doing it the Clintons ???
Never! Don’t you know the Clintons have immunity for life no matter the crime!!
No globalist puppet, cliton crime family victims or witnesses want to commit suicide with 2 gun shots to the back of their head .
This is another reason the leftists had to make sure Trump wasn’t POTUS. One of his vials was to get rid of the corruption
The hood should be executed immediately!
LaHood had extensive Clinton connections. Now what cabinet assignment does it get. What do you expect from a POTUS who did a QUID QUO PRO on the Ukrainians.
The whole bunch of Democrats are corrupt.
Keep obeying and following II Chronicles 7:14. God is still God.
REMOVE ALL COMMUNIST CONTROLLED DEMOCRATS FROM OFFICE! PERIOD.
Its time for President Trump, 19th President of the Republic of America to come back! Enough of the Clown show. The World needs solid honest leadership and law and Order In God we trust Amen
And…
“Yes sir, Mr Lahood, just sigh here, you’ll redeem your “Get outta Jail Free” card at the door (don’t tell anyone I said this, but we’ll send you a new one in the mail, don’t you worry.)”
“You ll need to”repay” that “Loan” (chuckle).”
“Just use that million or two you pocketed from the other thing to cover that… and We’re good!”
“Nice doing business with you, Have a nice day!! The tip jar is right over there, please consider a contribution.”
Problem is that nothing will happen to him since he is part of the dimokrap protected class.
Does anyone remember what they did to Dinesh D’Souza? They threw him in prison and threw the book at him, being a conservative, because he contributed too much money to a campaign. Plus he had made a documentary on Obama that wasn’t flattering. It was the truth and that pissed off Obama…….. so OFF WITH HIS HEAD!…… said the King Obama. You should read the book STEALING AMERICA by D’Souza. It’s chilling and it is reality.
Several people involved with the Trump election campaign were convicted of lying to the FBI during the “Russia” hoax investigation, yet this guy gets off with a slap on the hand and Valerie Jarrett, hillary and Huma Abedin never had charges brought against them. This proves that there are at least 2 systems of justice in this country and we MUST clean out the government of those who let politics decide with whom their loyalty lies.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/10/26/report-97-percent-doj-employee-political-donations-went-hillary-clinton/
https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Do_97_percent_of_journalist_donations_go_to_Democrats
Are there ANY politicians who are NOT crooks? One thing for sure, the Democrat Party has by far the most outstanding set of slimy crooks in the entire country; however, it seems like (in modern times) the Republican Party is trying to become more and more of a Democrat look-alike party. And just what are true Americans to do? Is there another pro American party on the horizon? And if so, who will be the organizers?
Jamey, I am now wondering, if the money laundering given to the Republicans, was insurance…. for future blackmail. Remember, the money was donated in someone else’s name.The R’s were not aware the money, came from a foreign crook. Probably setup by O.
The DOJ has found LaHood took money from an African billionaire and it was illegal. He was sentenced to writing ,” I was a bad boy” 100 times.
So General Flynn had to spend millions of dollars to defend himself even after the interview agents stated they did not think he lied. Yet this guy gets off with a $40,000 fine. Those who believe in justice have yet to experience it. There is no such thing as equal justice.
T0 me, the last paragraph is the most revealing and disturbing.
Chagoury, who was once on the United States’ “no-fly list” for ties to the Hezbollah terrorist group, also donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and had multiple contacts within former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department.
LaHood….what a fitting name. For a criminal turd.
Since it’s a crime for American presidential candidates to take campaign money from foreigner nationals the Department of Justice needs to go after the DNC, President Biden, Veep Harris and the Democratic Party for excepting Illegal money, Namely Communist China who admitted to funding Biden and the Democrats for re-election and new runners! Isn’t that’s what is know as a conflict of interest and illegal!