Fugees rapper Pras Michel found guilty in political conspiracy

The defence argued the Grammy-winning rapper from the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees simply wanted to make money and got bad legal advice as he reinvented himself in the world of politics

Prakazrel ‘Pras’ Michel, a member of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees (Andrew Harnik/AP)

A Fugees rapper accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies has been convicted after a trial that included testimony ranging from actor Leonardo DiCaprio to former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was accused of funnelling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, then trying to squelch a Justice Department investigation and influence an extradition case on behalf of China under the Trump administration.