Zuberi backdated a $50,000 refund during the inaugural-donation investigation
Reporting and findings
- convicted
Before Donald Trump commuted his sentence, Imaad Zuberi admitted obstruction arising from the investigation of the $900,000 inaugural-committee donation: after learning of the federal investigation, Zuberi met one contributor on February 25, 2019, refunded $50,000, and backdated the check to February 1 to make the refund appear earlier.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Central District of California: Political Donor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Lobbying and Campaign Contribution Crimes, Tax Evasion, Obstruction of JusticeInaugural-donation investigation and February 25, 2019 backdated-refund conduct
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York: United States v. Imaad Zuberi: Criminal InformationCriminal Information, paragraphs 6–12; refund demand, February 25 meeting, backdating, and obstruction charge
Summary and current status
The convicted obstruction conduct is separate from the underlying donor relationship; the canonical $900,000 observation is not duplicated.
Conduct included in guilty plea and sentence
People and organizations
- Donald J. TrumpDonald Trump root
- Imaad ZuberiTrump inaugural donor later convicted of obstruction
Relationships in this file
- Donald J. TrumpTrump inaugural donor and later commutation recipientImaad Zuberi
Money trail
paymentZuberi refund later backdated during investigation$50,000 - Paid by / source
- Imaad Zuberi
- Received by
- Unnamed inaugural-donation contributor