In a partnered story with The World, ProPublica's Habiba Nosheen provides more context on Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, an Indian American who has been accused of working for Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.
"Over the years, they say, Fai helped funnel more than $4 million from Pakistan's spy agency to the U.S. to influence America's position on Kashmir. Some of that money, allegedly, was donated to U.S. politicians," Nosheen reports.
Fai has long denied being an agent of Pakistan but, according to the FBI, later admitted that he has been receiving money from the ISI for 15 years. His lawyer argues, however, that just because Fai may have received money from someone within the ISI doesn't necessarily mean he is guilty of the charge -- a distinction that will prove important as the FBI works to prove their case, Nosheen notes.
"Fai's tale of rags to riches to arrest this summer is a lesson in how easy it is to win influence in Washington," Nosheen co-wrote in a ProPublica report. "Fai mingled with some of America's top politicians, meeting former President Bill Clinton and drawing as many as 32 members of Congress to his annual conference on Kashmir. Fai's access to power illustrates an issue that could become even more significant in this election cycle: foreign money illegally coming into U.S. political campaigns."
Listen to her report below. The World is jointly produced by the BBC, PRI and WGBH Boston. You can also read ProPublica's story on Fai, The Man Behind Pakistan Spy Agency's Plot to Influence Washington, here.
