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On Monday, March 18, 2024, Chinese billionaire Hui Qin pleaded guilty to committing federal election crimes. Qin admitted to unlawfully donating thousands of dollars to candidates in New York and Rhode Island.
According to court documents filed by prosecutors in Brooklyn, Qin, who is involved with the film industry, recruited several people to "make more than $10,000 in straw donor contributions" on his behalf, beginning in 2021 during the New York Citywide elections. Attorney Breon Pace said in a statement:
"Qin pleaded guilty today to engaging in a brazen web of deception, spreading lies to federal election and immigration authorities and a state agency. No one is above the law, no matter their wealth or station in society."
The Chinese billionaire has been in U.S. custody since October 2023, when he was arrested for using fake identification.
Chinese billionaire Hui Qin was named in a previous Forbes list of billionaires with a net worth of $1.8 billion
Qin, previously listed in the Forbes List of Billionaires with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion, acquired his wealth through stakes in various film and entertainment companies, including the Hong Kong-based SMI Culture.
Despite holding Chinese citizenship, Qin also possesses a U.S. Green Card and owns properties in Manhattan and Long Island.
While court documents do not explicitly name the candidates, they allegedly include a New York City official, a member of the U.S. House, and a congressional candidate. Since there have been only a handful of citywide races in New York in 2021, it includes the election of Mayor Eric Adams (D). In response, Adams' attorney, Vito Pitta, released a statement:
"As the federal government made clear today, the campaign had no knowledge of a straw donor scheme — and no member of the campaign has been charged with or accused of any wrongdoing."
Campaign finance records show that the Chinese billionaire donated $2000 to Adams in March 2021. Under city campaign rules, those holding a Green Card can contribute to such campaigns up to a maximum donation of $2100. Adams is currently under federal investigation concerning his fundraising practices from the previous year.
As part of his plea deal, Qin admitted he filed a false application for permanent residency in 2019, claiming to never have used an alias. Prosecutors said he was, in fact, provided the alias, Muk Lam Li by an official in the Chinese government in 2008. As Li, he transferred over $5 million from the Chinese government to a U.S. bank account, some of which he used to buy property.
In a similar scheme in 2022, the Chinese billionaire funneled donations to the campaign of Allan Fung (R), a former mayor who successfully ran for Congress in Rhode Island.
Qin is facing up to 27 years in prison on charges of orchestrating a straw donor scheme, immigration fraud, and using false identification documents. As part of his plea deal, he has agreed to forfeit his right to live in the United States and will be deported.
