His resignation is the latest indication of the seriousness of the general investigation into the general. The Brookings Institution, a 106-year-old research center and pillar of Washington’s liberal establishment, had placed General Allen on administrative leave last Wednesday. “The integrity and objectivity of the Brookings Scholarship are the foundation’s core strengths, and Brookings seeks to maintain high ethical standards in all its activities,” Glenn Hutchins and Suzanne Nora Johnson, co-chairs of the board, wrote on Sunday. institution. an email to staff. “Our policies on the independence and integrity of research reflect these values.” In a statement, General Allen said: “As I leave the institution with a heavy heart, I know it is best for all concerned at this time.” His statement made no mention of the deposits or any investigation. The recently revealed testimony that prompted the resignation was a request in April by federal prosecutors for a search warrant for General Allen’s electronic communications. Prosecutors cited messages sent by General Allen apparently asking for job payments to help Qatar win Washington support in a dispute with its regional rivals, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In the spring of 2017, these opponents led to a push for the strangulation of Qatar by severing diplomatic relations and blocking trade with the country, accusing its government of supporting extremism. Qatar is home to a large US air base, and General Allen, who recently left the government, appears to have demanded $ 20,000 paid as a “speaker end” for a weekend trip to advise Qatari rulers on the crisis. . The testimony quoted General Allen as seeking “a more comprehensive settlement of a longer-term relationship” and on the same trip trying to reach business deals with Qatar for two companies with which he was affiliated. Prosecutors also accused General Allen of lying about his role and withholding information requested by summons. A spokesman for General Allen last week described the report as “inaccurate, incomplete and misleading”. The spokesman, Bo Phillips, said in a statement that the general had done nothing wrong or illegal, had never acted as an agent of Qatar or any foreign government, and had never obstructed justice. General Allen was recruited to travel to Qatar by Richard G. Olson, the former US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, and Imaad Zuberi, an executive in the Middle East operation. Mr Olson agreed to plead guilty to violating a ban on pressure on a foreign government during the period immediately following his departure from the diplomatic service. Mr Zuberi, who paid for the trip to Qatar, is serving a prison sentence for violating foreign lobbies, financing campaigns and tax laws, and obstructing justice.
