According to the South China Morning Post, Elliott Broidy, was included in a list of those granted clemency along with other high-profiled politicians such as convicted former House Republicans Rick Renzi and Robert Hayes.
Broidy, 63, pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as part of a covert campaign to lobby on behalf of Low, better known as Jho Low, the central figure behind the 1MDB scandal.
“As part of a plea deal, Broidy admitted to accepting US$9 million from Low to persuade the Trump administration to drop US investigations into the scandal,” the news portal wrote.
According to SCMP, Broidy also helped Low to push Washington on behalf of Beijing to extradite the Chinese dissident billionaire Guo Wengui, who lives in New York.
Broidy agreed to forfeit US$6.6 million in his plea deal with the US government.
SCMP reported that in its citation for Broidy’s pardon, Trump’s administration referred to the former’s “numerous philanthropic efforts”, including on behalf of law enforcement, the military and veteran programmes.
Broidy’s pardon was backed by 21 high-key individuals including former US ambassador to China Terry Branstad and current House Republicans Devin Nunes, Ken Calvert and Jack Bergman, the portal said.
Broidy’s links to the 1MDB scandal were first highlighted by The Wall Street Journal in 2018. WSJ reported that Broidy and his wife, Robin Rosenzweig, discussed setting up a consulting contract with Low.
SCMP also reported that Broidy allegedly sought to set up a round of golf between Trump and former prime minister Najib Razak in 2017 although it never materialised.
Najib is facing 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.
Separately, he has been convicted on seven charges of corruption relating to 1MDB subsidiary SRC International. Najib, who has denied wrongdoing in the scandal, is appealing this conviction.
In November, Low, the alleged mastermind of the 1MDB scandals, suggested he borrowed billions from 1MDB to buy luxury items, including high-end real estate, art pieces, a private jet and a mega-yacht.
He also blamed Najib over the scandal.