Retired Marine General John Allen resigns from influential think tank amid FBI probe

Washington

John Allen, a retired four-star general who is facing an FBI probe, has resigned from the influential think tank Brookings Institution.

According to Responsible Statecraft, Allen submitted his resignation letter following explosive allegations that he made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents from the FBI during its investigation into whether he worked behind the scenes to influence US foreign policy in favor of the small Persian Gulf nation.

After the Quincy Institute, which advocates for diplomacy and military restraint, posted Allen's resignation letter online, he said “I know it is best for all concerned in this moment.”

The Associated Press had reported that FBI agent Babak Adib wrote in a search warrant application that Allen allegedly lobbied US officials to help Qatar in 2017 during a diplomatic crisis between the monarchy and its neighbors while “simultaneously pursuing multi-million dollar business deals with the government of Qatar.”

Also read | Brookings Institution president sent on leave amid FBI probe over Qatar lobbying

After violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act [FARA], Allen's electronic data was seized by the FBI as part of the investigation.

Failing to produce relevant email messages in response to an earlier grand jury subpoena, Allen gave a “false version of events” about his work for Qatar during a 2020 interview with law enforcement officials according to the FBI.

Denying the allegations, his spokesman Beau Philips told Fox News that said Allen “voluntarily cooperated with the government’s investigation into this matter.”

“Gen. Allen has done nothing improper or unlawful, has never acted as an agent of Qatar or any foreign government or principal, and has never obstructed justice.”

“Through decades of public service in combat and diplomacy, General Allen has earned an unmatched, sterling reputation for honor and integrity,” he added.

In response, the Brooking Institute said, “Brookings is not the subject of a federal investigation into a personal trip Allen took to Qatar in 2017 before he became president of the institution. Brookings receives no funds from the government of Qatar.”

“Brookings received funding from Qatar in the past to support operations for research and events. In early 2019, Brookings decided it would not renew funding from the country and would close its Brookings Doha Center, established in 2007. The decision to close the Brookings Doha Center was concurrent with the decision to transition all of Brookings’s foreign centers,” it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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