A senior official of the US think tank Institute for the Analysis of Global Security has been accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday.
A senior official of the US think tank Institute for the Analysis of Global Security has been accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday.
Gal Luft, a citizen of the US and Israel, is accused of recruiting and paying a former high-ranking US government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent as required by law.
Gal Luft, a citizen of the US and Israel, is accused of recruiting and paying a former high-ranking US government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent as required by law.
According to prosecutors, Luft “subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking US Government official.”
According to prosecutors, Luft “subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking US Government official.”
The US official was working as an adviser to the then president-elect Donald Trump at the time.
The US official was working as an adviser to the then president-elect Donald Trump at the time.
According to prosecutors, Luft also sought to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil.
According to prosecutors, Luft also sought to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil.
He brokered a deal for Chinese companies to sell weapons to countries including Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya, despite lacking a license to do so as required by US law, the prosecutors said.
He brokered a deal for Chinese companies to sell weapons to countries including Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya, despite lacking a license to do so as required by US law, the prosecutors said.
He is accused of pushing the adviser to support policies favorable to China, including by drafting comments in the adviser’s name published in a Chinese newspaper.
He is accused of pushing the adviser to support policies favorable to China, including by drafting comments in the adviser’s name published in a Chinese newspaper.
The US-Israeli analyst has leveled allegations of corruption against President Joe Biden’s son.
The US-Israeli analyst has leveled allegations of corruption against President Joe Biden’s son.
The prosecutors have charged Luft of engaging “in multiple, serious, criminal schemes,” according to a Justice Department statement.
The prosecutors have charged Luft of engaging “in multiple, serious, criminal schemes,” according to a Justice Department statement.
Luft was arrested in February in Cyprus on US charges, but fled after he was released on bail awaiting extradition proceedings, prosecutors said. He remains at large and the Justice Department is asking for information on his whereabouts.
Luft was arrested in February in Cyprus on US charges, but fled after he was released on bail awaiting extradition proceedings, prosecutors said. He remains at large and the Justice Department is asking for information on his whereabouts.
In a video published by the New York Post last week, Luft said that in 2019 he provided evidence to US Justice Department and FBI officials on what he said were Biden family financial transactions with the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC.
In a video published by the New York Post last week, Luft said that in 2019 he provided evidence to US Justice Department and FBI officials on what he said were Biden family financial transactions with the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC.
“Gal is a man of total integrity and honesty,” the think tank said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are confident in his innocence.”
“Gal is a man of total integrity and honesty,” the think tank said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are confident in his innocence.”
(With inputs from agencies)
(With inputs from agencies)
