Former U.S. ambassador in hot water for illegal lobbying

Former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates Richard Olson has been arrested for alleged misconduct while lobbying for the Qatari government.

Olson pleaded guilty to mobilizing illegal support for Qatar and accepting generous funding for a trip to Britain when he was Washington’s envoy to Pakistan, according to court documents.

Olson previously served as his country’s ambassador to the UAE and Washington envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and was charged by a federal court with violating a ban on mobilizing support for a foreign country during the first year of leaving official office.

According to a criminal complaint, in 2015, while serving as the US ambassador to Islamabad, Olson met in Los Angeles a Pakistani-American who offered to work for a partner from Bahrain.

The Pakistani-American, whose identity was not revealed, quickly prepared for a trip to London to discuss cooperation, while Olson did not reveal the source of the $ 19,000 he spent on first-class tickets, accommodation in a luxury hotel and dinner, according to the prosecution.

The man offered Olson a one-year contract of $ 300 thousand after the end of his diplomatic career, according to the complaint.

Olson had initially been asked to assist Qatar in mobilizing support in favour of allowing an American pre-clearance facility at Doha airport.

Subsequently, the former Ambassador was asked to assist Qatar in the face of the boycott imposed on it by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In contrast, a Qatari government official transferred $5.8 million to the Pakistani-American who contacted Olson, according to the complaint.

In the complaint, Olson acknowledged that he was aware of the moral constraints by stating that he could not communicate directly with the United States Ambassador to Qatar.

Olson’s brief to the Court contained a plea of guilt for the offences against him, and the case was transferred from California to Washington.

Olson submitted his submission to the Court on 7 April, and Axios’ news site was the first to report.

Since retiring from diplomacy, Olson has repeatedly served as an analyst for events in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup later this year, which has drawn scrutiny from rights groups fueled by player protests and indignation from some World Cup organizers regarding the Gulf nation's record on human rights.