Gal Luft, a think tank chief who accuses President Biden of China-linked corruption involving his son, Hunter, and who Republicans call a “missing” witness against the president, was charged with China-linked offenses including failing to register as a foreign agent, arms trafficking and violations of sanctions on Iran. Luft, 57, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, is co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS), based in Maryland, near Washington, D.C. A November indictment was unsealed on Monday, with Luft described as a fugitive, having skipped bail in Cyprus in April while awaiting extradition, reports The Guardian. Announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in New York City, said Luft “engaged in multiple, serious criminal schemes. “He 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; he acted as a broker in deals for dangerous weapons and Iranian oil; and he told multiple lies about his crimes to law enforcement.”
Luft denied has wrongdoing. He was arrested, he claimed, to stop him from testifying to House committee about alleged China-linked corruption involving the Bidens. “I’m not a Republican,” Luft said. “I’m not a Democrat. I have no political motive or agenda … I did it out of deep concern that if the Bidens were to come to power, the country would be facing the same traumatic Russia collusion scandal [the investigation of Russian election interference and links between Donald Trump and Moscow] only this time with China.” He skipped bail, he said, “because I did not believe I will receive a fair trial in a New York court”. Noting Luft’s “fugitive” status, federal officials asked people with information about his whereabouts to contact the FBI or the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. His think tank said, “Gal is a man of total integrity and honesty. We are confident in his innocence.”
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