The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently reported that a Chinese billionaire pleaded guilty to charges of illegally sending straw donations to political campaigns in New York and Rhode Island.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York issued a press release, indicating that Hui Qin — a Chinese national who managed an entertainment company based in Hong Kong, China, admitted to sending nearly $12,000 in straw donations to multiple political campaigns in New York and Rhode Island.
"A Chinese billionaire admitted to his role in a scheme to funnel illegal campaign donations to two New York politicians — including Mayor Eric Adams, according to a report."
"Hui Qin, 56, pleaded guilty in Central Islip federal court Monday to violating election laws by making… https://t.co/kWWEPO3dn2
— Wendy Patterson (@wendyp4545) March 19, 2024
In the press release, the DOJ noted that Qin reimbursed individuals who contributed to the campaign committees for a member of the U.S. House in New York and a candidate for the House in a Rhode Island congressional district.
The DOJ’s statement claimed that the political campaigns that Qin contributed to did not know of his nefarious activities. As such, the campaign organizations “unwittingly file[d] false contribution reports with the Federal Election Commission in 2022.”
Qin later accepted a plea deal, which involved him admitting to submitting false information while applying for a green card in the U.S. in April 2019, according to the Blaze.
“In the application, Qin falsely swore, under penalty of perjury, that he had never used another name,” the DOJ wrote.
“In fact, in 2008, a [People’s Republic of China] government official provided Qin with the alias ‘Muk Lam Li’ and between 2008 and the filing of Qin’s LPR application, Qin obtained identification documents, including a Hong Kong identification card, a PRC identification card and a Hong Kong passport in the name of the Li alias,” the department added.
The DOJ noted that the alias “contained Qin’s photograph, but a date of birth different than Qin’s.”
Qin also pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining a driver’s license in Florida while being a resident of New York. The Chinese national submitted “fake bank and credit card statements” that contained a “false Miami address.”
“As part of his plea agreement, Qin agreed to abandon his status as a Lawful Permanent Resident (‘LPR’) of the United States and to be removed to a country outside of the United States,” the DOJ reported. “When sentenced, Qin faces up to 27 years’ imprisonment.”
