Renowned attorney David Kenner, known for representing high-profile clients such as Snoop Dogg and Tory Lanez, has pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court in the federal conspiracy case against Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michél. This plea stems from Kenner’s involvement in leaking evidence to reporters from Bloomberg News, violating the court’s protective order.
In the case related to a massive foreign influence scheme concerning Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Michél faced accusations of accepting money to facilitate access for Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government to top officials like Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Ultimately, Michél was convicted.
Kenner, acknowledging his actions, expressed remorse during the sentencing, stating, “I am deeply sorry to be standing in front of you, and I fully accept responsibility. I had a wonderful 56-year career, and while I tried to be a zealous advocate in my cases, including for Mr. Michél, this is a low point.” The Department of Justice imposed a penalty of one year of probation and a $5,000 fine on Kenner.
The guilty plea has raised the possibility of potential disbarment for Kenner. Meanwhile, Michél, seeking a new trial, has criticized Kenner’s preparedness. In court filings submitted by Michél’s new attorneys in October, they depicted Kenner as being lost and overwhelmed just two weeks before the trial, prompting a member of Kenner’s trial team to seek external help from a trial attorney in Miami.
