Pakistani Pleads Guilty To Failing To Disclose His Lobbying In U.S. For Islamabad

[Cherokee]

Pakistani-American Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry pleads guilty of failing to register as a foreign agent. Faces up to 5 years in prison.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 7, 2018
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty To Failure To File A Foreign Agent Registration Statement


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885



Greenbelt, Maryland – Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry, age 71, of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to failure to file a foreign agent registration statement.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, Chaudhry, a national of Pakistan and lawful permanent resident of the United States, represented himself to be the President of the Pakistan American League, an unincorporated entity he created and associated with his residential address in Maryland.

Chaudhry failed to file a registration statement with the Attorney General, as required by law, providing notification of his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, and falsely represented that his activities in relation to Pakistan were solely educational in nature and executed for the benign purpose of encouraging better relations between the United States and Pakistan.

According to his plea agreement, from 2012 through 2018, Chaudhry acted as an agent of the Government of Pakistan in order to engage in political activities for, and in the interests of, the Government of Pakistan. These activities were designed by Chaudhry to obtain and manage information on the status of the United States Government's policies regarding Pakistan, and to influence U.S. government officials and U.S. foreign policy towards Pakistan.

Chaudhry interacted on a routine basis with representatives of the Government of Pakistan, at their Embassy in Washington, D.C. and consular office in New York City. Chaudhry also interacted with numerous institutes, foundations, and organizations operating in and around Washington, D.C., commonly referred to as "think tanks," that played a role in shaping and influencing U.S. foreign policy. Chaudhry organized roundtable discussions in the Washington D.C., and Maryland metropolitan areas between his American government and think tank contacts and visiting Pakistan government officials to influence United States foreign policy in a direction favorable to Pakistan’s interests. Chaudhry cultivated contacts within these entities and the United States government in order to obtain in-depth information regarding the United States government's policies towards Pakistan. Chaudhry then sought to neutralize unfavorable views of Pakistan held by current and former U.S. government officials by employing certain methods of discussion with these individuals during personal interactions with them and/or by controlling and manipulating discussion at the roundtable events he organized or attended.

In order to be more effective in obtaining information of interest to Pakistan, and to gain a strategic advantage in acquiring information that might not otherwise be divulged to official representatives of the Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry falsely represented that his activities were solely educational in nature and not affiliated with the Pakistan government. These representations were made not only to American think tank scholars, but also to current and former United States government officials, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents who interviewed Chaudhry upon entry into the United States from his travels to Pakistan.

According to his plea agreement, Chaudhry regularly traveled to Pakistan to brief high-level Pakistan government officials on information obtained from his American government and think tank contacts. He also met with Pakistan government officials in the United States to report on the details of his meetings in Pakistan with high-level Pakistan government officials, and obtain information regarding matters of interest to Pakistan relevant to his activities in the United States on behalf of the Pakistan government.

In consideration for his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry was granted invitations to events at the Pakistan Embassy; introductions to, and meetings with, high-level Pakistan government officials; assistance with procuring civilian, military, or government -related jobs and preferential postings for relatives and associates in Pakistan; assistance with securing Pakistani visas on an expedited basis for friends, relatives, or associates; reimbursement for certain travel expenses; and the use of diplomatic channels to ship personal items to and from Pakistan, among other things.

Chaudhry organized press briefings in Washington, D.C. and Maryland for visiting Pakistan government dignitaries and arranged for various scholars and/or former United States government officials to attend conferences in Pakistan.

Chaudhry faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2018 at 2 p.m. in Greenbelt, Maryland.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian, who prosecuted the case.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/...ure-file-foreign-agent-registration-statement

 

[Cherokee]

Second Pakistani foreign agent convicted . First was Ghulam Nabi Fai .

 

[Trango Towers]

He is 71. Mashallah. No worries I respect him more than BB NS AND ALL THE PTHER BASTARDS

 

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

A Pakistani man has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to failing to disclose that he lobbied in Washington between 2012 and 2018 on behalf of the Pakistani government, the Justice Department said on May 7.

Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry, 71, admitted to working as an unregistered foreign agent who sought to influence U.S. policies towards Pakistan, it said. He faces a maximum prison term of five years in his sentencing, which is scheduled for July 30.

A U.S. law known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act requires people to disclose to the Justice Department when they lobby or perform other political activities in the United States on behalf of foreign governments.

Until recently, the Justice Department has rarely brought criminal cases, choosing instead to encourage people to comply with the law rather than prosecute them when they fail to do so.

As part of his plea Chaudhry, who resides in Columbia, Maryland, admitted to secretly acting as an agent for the Pakistani government in an effort to get information about and influence U.S. government policies toward Pakistan.

Prosecutors say Chaudhry, who represented himself as the president of the Pakistan American League, organized roundtable discussions in the Washington area aimed at influencing U.S. policy and also traveled to Pakistan to brief government officials there on information that he had learned from American contacts.

Chaudhry told U.S. government officials, including Customs and Border Protection agents and think-tank contacts, that his work was solely educational in nature and not affiliated with the Pakistani government, the Justice Department said.

In fact, prosecutors say, his activities were designed to shape American policy in a way that favored Pakistani interests.

A public defender listed as representing Chaudhry did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-m...ton-islamabad-us-court-chaudhry/29214289.html

 

[Safriz]

So Indian and Israeli lobbying in USA is "Halal" but Pakistani man lobbying faces jail...
wow for tha land of the fukin free.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mary...ure-file-foreign-agent-registration-statement

 

[Solomon2]

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Maryland​

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 7, 2018
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty To Failure To File A Foreign Agent Registration Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885


Greenbelt, Maryland – Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry, age 71, of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to failure to file a foreign agent registration statement.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, Chaudhry, a national of Pakistan and lawful permanent resident of the United States, represented himself to be the President of the Pakistan American League, an unincorporated entity he created and associated with his residential address in Maryland.

Chaudhry failed to file a registration statement with the Attorney General, as required by law, providing notification of his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, and falsely represented that his activities in relation to Pakistan were solely educational in nature and executed for the benign purpose of encouraging better relations between the United States and Pakistan.

According to his plea agreement, from 2012 through 2018, Chaudhry acted as an agent of the Government of Pakistan in order to engage in political activities for, and in the interests of, the Government of Pakistan. These activities were designed by Chaudhry to obtain and manage information on the status of the United States Government's policies regarding Pakistan, and to influence U.S. government officials and U.S. foreign policy towards Pakistan.

Chaudhry interacted on a routine basis with representatives of the Government of Pakistan, at their Embassy in Washington, D.C. and consular office in New York City. Chaudhry also interacted with numerous institutes, foundations, and organizations operating in and around Washington, D.C., commonly referred to as "think tanks," that played a role in shaping and influencing U.S. foreign policy. Chaudhry organized roundtable discussions in the Washington D.C., and Maryland metropolitan areas between his American government and think tank contacts and visiting Pakistan government officials to influence United States foreign policy in a direction favorable to Pakistan’s interests. Chaudhry cultivated contacts within these entities and the United States government in order to obtain in-depth information regarding the United States government's policies towards Pakistan. Chaudhry then sought to neutralize unfavorable views of Pakistan held by current and former U.S. government officials by employing certain methods of discussion with these individuals during personal interactions with them and/or by controlling and manipulating discussion at the roundtable events he organized or attended.

In order to be more effective in obtaining information of interest to Pakistan, and to gain a strategic advantage in acquiring information that might not otherwise be divulged to official representatives of the Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry falsely represented that his activities were solely educational in nature and not affiliated with the Pakistan government. These representations were made not only to American think tank scholars, but also to current and former United States government officials, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents who interviewed Chaudhry upon entry into the United States from his travels to Pakistan.

According to his plea agreement, Chaudhry regularly traveled to Pakistan to brief high-level Pakistan government officials on information obtained from his American government and think tank contacts. He also met with Pakistan government officials in the United States to report on the details of his meetings in Pakistan with high-level Pakistan government officials, and obtain information regarding matters of interest to Pakistan relevant to his activities in the United States on behalf of the Pakistan government.

In consideration for his activities on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, Chaudhry was granted invitations to events at the Pakistan Embassy; introductions to, and meetings with, high-level Pakistan government officials; assistance with procuring civilian, military, or government -related jobs and preferential postings for relatives and associates in Pakistan; assistance with securing Pakistani visas on an expedited basis for friends, relatives, or associates; reimbursement for certain travel expenses; and the use of diplomatic channels to ship personal items to and from Pakistan, among other things.

Chaudhry organized press briefings in Washington, D.C. and Maryland for visiting Pakistan government dignitaries and arranged for various scholars and/or former United States government officials to attend conferences in Pakistan.

Chaudhry faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2018 at 2 p.m. in Greenbelt, Maryland.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian, who prosecuted the case.

 

[cloud4000]

So Indian and Israeli lobbying in USA is "Halal" but Pakistani man lobbying faces jail...
wow for tha land of the fukin free.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mary...ure-file-foreign-agent-registration-statement

Reminds me the story of Kashmiri activist Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was also arrested for being an unregistered agent of Pakistan. Claimed to be an independent activist, but later admitted to being a paid agent of Pakistan. Same thing. It's okay to advocate for any country with US government, just don't lie about it.

 

[Turingsage]

Same thing. It's okay to advocate for any country with US government, just don't lie about it.

Its not just a question of lying. US law stipulates that they have to register as lobbyists. India Israel and even Pakistan have registered lobbyists but the unregistered ones are illegally trying to influence policy by illegally meeting lawmakers media etc pretending to be what they are not.

 

[El Sidd]

It is his right not to disclose.

Deal with it

 

[Solomon2]

...It's okay to advocate for any country with US government, just don't lie about it.

It is his right not to disclose.
Deal with it

Wrong, wrong. It's not unregistered advocacy that's illegal but acting as an unregistered agent under the control of a foreign power:

...(c) Expect 1 as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the term ‘‘agent of a foreign principal’’ means— (1) any person who acts as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign principal or of a person any of whose activities are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed, or subsidized in whole or in major part by a foreign principal, and who directly or through any other person— (i) engages within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (ii) acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (iii) within the United States solicits, collects, disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other things of value for or in the interest of such foreign principal; or (iv) within the United States represents the interests of such foreign principal before any agency or official of the Government of the United States; and (2) any person who agrees, consents, assumes or purports to act as, or who is or holds himself out to be, whether or not pursuant to contractual relationship, an agent of a foreign principal as defined in clause (1) of this subsection.
​

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

The US justice is such that at times an innocent person choses to make a deal for a lesser sentence---.

 

[El Sidd]

Wrong, wrong. It's not unregistered advocacy that's illegal but acting as an unregistered agent under the control of a foreign power:

...(c) Expect 1 as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the term ‘‘agent of a foreign principal’’ means— (1) any person who acts as an agent, representative, employee, or servant, or any person who acts in any other capacity at the order, request, or under the direction or control, of a foreign principal or of a person any of whose activities are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed, or subsidized in whole or in major part by a foreign principal, and who directly or through any other person— (i) engages within the United States in political activities for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (ii) acts within the United States as a public relations counsel, publicity agent, information-service employee or political consultant for or in the interests of such foreign principal; (iii) within the United States solicits, collects, disburses, or dispenses contributions, loans, money, or other things of value for or in the interest of such foreign principal; or (iv) within the United States represents the interests of such foreign principal before any agency or official of the Government of the United States; and (2) any person who agrees, consents, assumes or purports to act as, or who is or holds himself out to be, whether or not pursuant to contractual relationship, an agent of a foreign principal as defined in clause (1) of this subsection.
​

I know US has shitty privacy laws.

The 71 year old knows them too.

The whole system is designed by lobbyists. So he is in good hands

 

[Solomon2]

Reminds me the story of Kashmiri activist Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was also arrested for being an unregistered agent of Pakistan. Claimed to be an independent activist, but later admitted to being a paid agent of Pakistan. Same thing...

Fai case discussed here. Fai's activities went beyond Chaudry's plea-bargained admissions.

Hi,
The US justice is such that at times an innocent person choses to make a deal for a lesser sentence---.

The sad thing is that his activities may have been mutually beneficial but he or his bosses felt Chaudry had to misrepresent himself in defiance of U.S. law rather than register as required.

I'm starting to wonder if all Pakistani officials and their hirelings are required to be crooks. "Thieves stick together", is the saying - only honest men are to be feared...

 

[boxer_B]

Hi,

The US justice is such that at times an innocent person choses to make a deal for a lesser sentence---.

The concept of plea bargain is valid in lot of countries including India and Pakistan.

 

[MBT 3000]

the land of the free, i mean idiots