» News

2 Chicago men charged in Zimbabwe plot

Home - by - August 7, 2013 - 18:30 America/New_York - 3 Comments

Chicago Tribune

They called themselves the “Chicago connection” and appeared confident that their contacts with Illinois politicians would help persuade newly elected President Barack Obama to lift longtime economic sanctions against leaders in Zimbabwe, according to federal charges unsealed Tuesday.

“The Chicago connection NEVER surrenders or forgets its friends,” a criminal complaint quoted one of the men as writing in a 2009 letter to the head of Zimbabwe’s national bank.

The two, Prince Asiel Ben Israel and C. Gregory Turner, were charged with violating federal law by lobbying on behalf Zimbabwe’s longtime president, Robert Mugabe, whose violent and oppressive regime has been the target of U.S. economic sanctions since 2003.

According to the charges, Ben Israel and Turner attempted to persuade undisclosed federal and state government officials — including an Illinois state senator and two U.S. representatives from Chicago — to push for the lifting of the sanctions. The two reached a consulting agreement with Zimbabwe officials to be paid $3.4 million, authorities charged, but it was unclear whether they received any money.

Authorities said the discussions began in early November 2008 when Ben Israel and Turner told Zimbabwe officials that they knew many politicians with close ties to Obama, the U.S. senator from Illinois who had just been elected to the White House. But their efforts over the next year failed as the president continued the sanctions first imposed under the previous Bush administration. None of the public officials was accused of wrongdoing.

more

.

» 3 Comments

  1. dapenguin

    August 7th, 2013

    Great news, cause I would hate to think what would happen if we had pro-African dictator politicians close to the president

    Thumb up +3

     
  2. Czar of Defenestration

    August 7th, 2013

    Chicago. Now the second home of Nigerian Princes.

    Thumb up +2

     
  3. Mary Jane Anklestraps

    August 7th, 2013

    I think I got a FAX from that guy saying he needed some help with a bank account

    Thumb up +2