Love him or hate him, former president Donald Trump has been linked to numerous scandals in his lifetime.
But never one in Malaysia. Until now.
At a trial in Malaysia involving the country’s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malyaysia Development Berhad, authorities allege a systemic, worldwide embezzlement scheme that involved one of the largest money-laundering conspiracies in history. The United States Justice Department called it the “largest kleptocracy scheme to date” in 2016.
At a trial involving a Malaysian hip hop star and fugitive businessman, former United States lobbyist Elliot Broidy, a prosecution witness, testified that he was hired to “convince top US officials that the Department of Justice’s pursuit of those involved in the scandal would be detrimental to bilateral ties,” according to Malaysia Now.
Brody’s efforts involved a “failed bid to arrange a round of golf between then United States President Donald Trump and former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.”
According to reports, Brody told the court he was paid a “retainer fee of $8 million” and an “appearance fee” of $1 million to travel to Thailand in attempts to grease the tracks of the deal. Broidy claims he could’ve earned $75 million if his efforts succeeded.
Broidy served as deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee following Trump’s election victory.
As Malaysia Now notes, he quit the position the following year “in the wake of revelations that he paid a former Playboy model $1.6 million in return for her silence about a sexual affair.”
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