The Justice Department reportedly charged Olson with producing false statements in ethics-related paperwork and violating US legislation that restricts foreign lobbying by former federal officials, the report said.
The former ambassador is reportedly going to plead guilty in court to concealing bribes from Qatar, according to his statement, obtained by Axios.
Court documents filed in early April say Olson, who served as the State Department's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the end of US President Barack Obama's second term, provided “assistance and advice” to Qatar on lobbying activities, in violation of a law prohibiting officials from such activities within one year of leaving public service.
During the diplomatic crisis that prompted Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to close Qatar’s only land border, citing the kingdom’s purported financial support of terrorism, Olson used his connections among US officials in support of Qatar.
Olson allegedly received $20,000 monthly payments from an unnamed Pakistani American lobbyist for his assistance.
2 February 2021, 06:01 GMT
Prosecutors also said that while working at the State Department, Olson did not disclose receiving cash gifts from a Pakistani-born California businessman named Imaad Zuberi. Once a major political donor, Zuberi is now serving a 12-year prison sentence for using foreign money to make illegal campaign contributions to politicians from both leading parties.
Olson’s case is one of the high-profile efforts of the US Department of Justice in recent years to crack down on unregistered or illegal influence campaigns funded by foreign governments to shape Washington's policies.