Chinese Tycoon Ordered Deported For Straw Donations to NY Mayor
Qin Hui, owner of a notorious Beijing nightclub, previously accused of bribing former Chinese state bank boss
By: Toh Han Shih
Although Chinese billionaire Qin Hui has managed to avoid jail in China despite his involvement in past controversies in China possibly due to his powerful connections, US law has caught up with him. On May 9, a US court sentenced him to prison and ordered him deported for making illegal campaign donations to New York Mayor Eric Adams. This punishment of a Chinese citizen for interference in US politics is particularly sensitive at a time of distrust and tension between the US and China.
In 2018, Qin, who lived in a mansion in Old Westbury, one of New York’s wealthiest districts, and drove a Rolls Royce according to a 2022 US court document, was listed among Forbes’ 259 newest billionaires with an estimated fortune of US$1.8 billion. He has a powerful political background and close links with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to reports in Chinese and international media. He was previously married to the daughter of the brother-in-law of the late Li Xiannian, Chinese President from 1983 to 1988. Qin’s wife died in 1996.
Qin, also known as “Hui Quin,” “Muk Lam Li” and “Karl,” was sentenced to seven months imprisonment for making political contributions in the names of others, immigration fraud, and producing a false identification document, announced the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on the same day…