Former US ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, has been sentenced to three years of probation, and fined $93,400, for violating federal ethics laws.
This verdict follows Olson's guilty plea last year for misusing his official position for personal gain, where he admitted to making a false statement and violating lobbying laws related to a foreign government.
Richard Olson, aged 63, who served as the US envoy to Pakistan from 2012 to 2015, was also America's ambassador to the UAE. His legal troubles arose from allegations that he assisted the Qatar government in influencing US policymakers shortly after retiring from the State Department in 2016.
Under US law, senior officials are prohibited from representing a foreign government or aiding foreign entities in influencing the US government for a year after leaving their positions.
The US Attorney's Office for Washington stated that Olson took various steps to conceal his unlawful activities, including deleting incriminating emails and providing false information during an FBI interview.
During his tenure as the US envoy to Pakistan, Olson received favors and benefits from a Pakistani-American businessman, identified in court documents as "Person 1". These benefits included a payment of $25,000 to Olson's then-girlfriend to support her tuition at Columbia University in New York and $18,000 for first-class travel expenses for Olson to attend a job interview in London.
Moreover, "Person 1" allegedly asked Olson to lobby members of Congress on his behalf regarding weapon sales to Pakistan and Middle Eastern countries that "Person 1" was attempting to facilitate.
It has been reported that "Person 1" is Imaad Zuberi, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2021 for illegal campaign contributions and other offenses, as noted by The Washington Post.
