Former U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson, when he retired from the State Department in 2016, was celebrated for his distinguished 34-year-long career, including assignments in perilous countries like Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, as well as various high-profile roles. At one point, Secretary of State John Kerry even praised him as one of the country's exceptional diplomats. However, years later, federal agencies are investigating Olson for alleged violations of diplomatic principles, protocols, and other misconduct.
According to The Washington Post's report, documents gathered in court suggest that the Department of State's Inspector General had been investigating Olson over allegations that the Emir of Dubai had given him $60,000 worth of diamond jewelry as a gift for his girl friend during his tenure in Pakistan, but Olson did not report this to the State Department.
Additionally, the documents also allege that Olson had clear extramarital relations with a Pakistani journalist during his assignment in Pakistan, which the FBI had previously investigated. There is a possibility of a 6-month sentence for these allegations. The U.S. State Department spokesperson Jennifer McQuiston has also denied commenting on Olson's case.
FBI notes also indicate that Olson had arranged a $25,000 tuition fee payment for his girlfriend, Pakistani-American trader, to enable his Pakistani TV reporter girlfriend, Mona Habib, to go to New York and study at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Records also reveal that Richard Olson was involved in a complex affair during his assignment, which posed a risk to his security clearance. From 2012 to 2015, during his assignment in Pakistan, he went on dates with multiple women, even though his wife was also a U.S. diplomat at the time, serving as an ambassador in Libya