"Former Ambassador Probed for Diamond Scandal, Illicit Lobbying, and Multiple Girlfriends"
Former U.S. ambassador Richard G. Olson Jr. is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors, including failing to disclose an $18,000 first-class ticket and illicitly lobbying for the government of Qatar. Previously undisclosed records reveal that Olson was also investigated for failing to report a $60,000 gift of diamond jewelry to his mother-in-law from the emir of Dubai and for his extramarital affair with a journalist in Pakistan. The FBI discovered that Olson arranged for a businessman to pay $25,000 in tuition for his girlfriend to attend Columbia University. Prosecutors argue that these episodes demonstrate a pattern of unethical behavior. Olson's attorneys argue that he should not serve any prison time.