This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On December 3, 2019, the Justice Department announced charges against eight individuals, including George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman and influential power broker, for their alleged involvement in a campaign finance scheme.
Nader, who was a cooperating witness in Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, is accused of conspiring with Ahmad 'Andy' Khawaja, the owner of an online payments company, to conceal more than $3.5 million in donations to groups supporting Hillary Clinton's campaign.
The indictment, unsealed on December 3, 2019, alleges that Khawaja made the donations in the names of himself, his wife, and his business, but that the money actually came from Nader. Prosecutors say Nader reported his efforts to gain influence to an official of an unspecified foreign government.
Khawaja, who hosted a fund-raiser for Clinton in 2016, was charged with conspiracy, making illegal contributions through someone else, causing excessive contributions, making false statements, causing false records to be filed, and obstruction of a federal grand jury investigation.
The indictment also charges Khawaja with conspiring with seven others to conceal more than $1.8 million in donations from March 2016 through 2018.
