# Elliott Broidy Republican National Committee deputy finance chairman, Trump Victory Committee fundraiser, and convicted unregistered foreign agent — the most legally exposed figure in the UAE backchannel network. Broidy's career arc maps the intersection of GOP fundraising, foreign influence operations, and defense contracting corruption. ## The Anti-[[Qatar]] Campaign Working with [[George Nader]] (UAE adviser), Broidy ran an aggressive lobbying campaign against Qatar on behalf of UAE interests: - Nader wired Broidy **$2.5 million** through a Canadian company - The UAE reportedly offered Broidy an intelligence contract worth up to **$600 million** over five years - Broidy used his RNC position and Trump Victory Committee role to push anti-Qatar policy - The campaign sought to influence Trump's stance on the 2017 Qatar blockade ## 1MDB Guilty Plea In October 2020, Broidy **pleaded guilty** to one count of conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent — but for a different scheme: - Conspired to lobby the Justice Department to **drop the $4.5 billion 1MDB fraud investigation** involving Malaysia's state investment fund - Paid **$9 million** with a potential success fee of **$75 million** - Also lobbied for the extradition of a Chinese dissident back to China - **Forfeited $6.6 million** as part of the plea deal - Prosecutors dropped the UAE-Qatar backchannel charges in exchange for the 1MDB guilty plea - **Pardoned by Trump** in January 2021 ## Pattern Broidy illustrates how a single figure can simultaneously serve as a GOP fundraiser, an unregistered UAE agent, a 1MDB cover-up operative, and a Chinese government lobbyist — with the only consequence being a plea deal, a forfeiture, and a presidential pardon. ## See Also - [[UAE]] - [[George Nader]] - [[Tom Barrack]] - [[Yousef Al Otaiba]]