Rapper Ice Cube Claims Qatari Government Tried to Bribe Him for Access to Steve Bannon
Rapper O'Shea Jackson Sr. (“Ice Cube”) claims that a Qatari investor tried to bribe him for access to Steve Bannon, the Daily Mail reports.
The bizarre allegations, detailed in a $1.2 billion lawsuit filed on behalf of Jackson and his business partner Jeff Kwatinetz, claim that the Qatari government tried to bribe Jackson and Kwatinetz with financial support to their BIG3 basketball league in exchange for access to the former White House chief strategist. According to court documents, Kwatinetz and Bannon are “friends.”
Jackson and Kwatinetz said the investor, Ahmed al-Rumaihi, promised to give $20.5 million to the BIG3 league—but only paid $7.5 million. The paid argue the real goal was to “get positive public relations for Qatar.”
By Kwatinetz’s account, al Rumaihi made a partial payment to the league before “persistently [inquiring] about wanting to meet with Mr. Bannon.” According to the lawsuit, after Bannon was fired from his job at far-right website Breitbart in January, the Qatari investor wanted to speak with the former Donald Trump aide and offer to “underwrite all of his political efforts in return for his support.”
He asked Kwatinetz to set up the meeting so he could “convey a message from the Qatari Government to Steve Bannon.”
"Mr. Al-Rumaihi requested I set up a meeting between him, the Qatari government, and Steven Bannon, and to tell Steve Bannon that Qatar would underwrite all of his political efforts in return for his support,” Kwatinetz told the Daily Mail. He said he rejected the offer and was “appalled” by the notion of a bribe,
Kwatinetz also claims the Qatari invoked former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
“Mr. Al-Rumahi laughed and then stated to me that I shouldn't be naive, that so many Washington politicians take our money, and stated 'do you think [Michael] Flynn turned down our money?’' Kwatinetz recounted.
