Feds Seize Retired General’s Data After Accusing Him of Being Qatari Agent

A retired Marine Corps general under federal scrutiny for alleged lying about his role in an illegal lobbying scheme by Qatar has had his electronic data seized by the FBI. Four-star Gen. John R. Allen, 68, is accused of giving a “false version of events” to agents in a 2020 interview about his work to influence U.S. policy on behalf of Qatar during a diplomatic crisis three years prior. In a 77-page search warrant application obtained by the Associated Press, an agent wrote that there was “substantial evidence” that Allen had willfully violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, while “simultaneously pursuing multimillion-dollar business deals” with the Qatari government. Authorities have said Allen, who has presided over the Brookings Institution think tank since 2017, also withheld “incriminating” documents about his part in the lobbying scheme. Allen has denied that he is a foreign agent, saying his role in 2017 had been to prevent a Gulf war from kicking off. He is “voluntarily” cooperating with the federal investigation, according to a spokesperson. No criminal charges have yet been filed.