Former US ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson has been accused of having an extramarital affair with a Pakistani journalist and violating the norms of his office as a diplomat.
Once celebrated for his distinguished diplomatic career, Olson faces sentencing after a series of revelations about his personal and professional conduct, including an extramarital affair with Pakistani journalist Muna Habib during his tenure as the US ambassador to Pakistan.
According to a report in The Washington Post, Olson, who retired from the State Department in 2016, had an illustrious 34-year career. He served as the US ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates before taking up assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, recently disclosed court records have shed light on a different side of Olson’s life.
One aspect of the investigation centered around Olson’s failure to report a $60,000 gift of diamond jewelry from the emir of Dubai to his mother-in-law while he was serving as the head of the US Consulate in Dubai. Also, the FBI probed his involvement in arranging for a Pakistani American businessman, Imaad Zuberi, to pay $25,000 in tuition bills for Muna Habib, enabling her to attend the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Olson’s complicated romantic life also came under scrutiny. While stationed in Pakistan from 2012 to 2015, he dated multiple women despite being married to another US diplomat, who was serving as the ambassador to Libya at the time. He did not report these liaisons to US diplomatic security officials, as required by State Department counterintelligence rules.
The former ambassador pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, admitting to failing to disclose an $18,000 first-class ticket he received for a job interview and illegally lobbying on behalf of Qatar after his retirement. While he was not charged in connection with the diamond gift or Habib’s tuition, the Justice Department argued that these episodes demonstrated a pattern of unethical behavior.
Olson’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday (September 12, 2023), and he could face up to six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. His lawyers argue that his long and honourable career should exempt him from imprisonment.
In recent years, the US Justice Department has intensified enforcement of foreign-influence laws, including actions against retired military personnel working as consultants for foreign powers.
The scandal surrounding Olson began during his tenure as the US ambassador to Pakistan when he became involved with journalist Muna Habib. Despite dating for two years, their relationship ended in late 2014 after Habib discovered Olson’s infidelity. They reconnected later, and Olson helped Habib financially to attend journalism school.
Emails submitted to the court suggest that the two remained close after their breakup. Habib, who is now married to Olson, downplayed questions about their relationship, dismissing them as “salacious gossip.”
Olson reported his relationship with Habib to the CIA’s station chief but did not report it to US diplomatic security officials, as required for diplomats with high-level security clearances.
The investigation also delved into the diamond gift from the emir of Dubai, which Olson claimed was intended for his mother-in-law. While Olson’s then-wife, Deborah Jones, was also investigated, both she and Olson were cleared of wrongdoing by the State Department.
Despite the controversy, Jones defended the legitimacy of the diamond gift and argued that her mother considered it a personal gift from the emir. The State Department closed the investigation, but both Jones and Olson were asked to voluntarily relinquish the diamonds.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Olson’s once-distinguished diplomatic career has become marred by a web of personal and professional controversies that have left a lasting impact on his legacy.
