Former top State official to plead guilty for helping Qatar

By ALAN SUDERMAN and JIM MUSTIAN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A former top-ranking State Department official is set to plead guilty for improperly helping a wealthy Gulf country try to influence U.S. policy and not disclosing on a government ethics form gifts he received from a disgraced political fundraiser. Court records filed earlier this month say that Richard G. Olson, who was the State Department’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at end of the Obama administration, provided “aid and advice” to Qatar on lobbying activities in violation of a “revolving door” prohibition against such behavior for one year after leaving public service. Olson, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, indicated in a signed filing earlier this month he intends to plead guilty.