John Allen resigns from Brookings over Qatar lobbying allegations

Retired Marine General John Allen has resigned from the Brookings Institution, the prestigious Washington policy foundation, after coming under scrutiny for his alleged participation in an illegal lobbying campaign for Qatar.

In a statement released on Sunday, the think-tank confirmed Allen’s departure, after having placed him on administrative leave from his role as president last week.

The decision came after a court filing showed the FBI was examining whether Allen helped Qatar to navigate a 2017 diplomatic crisis, and then covered up his involvement in those efforts as part of a federal probe into the Gulf country’s relationship with Donald Trump’s administration.

“The integrity and objectivity of Brookings’ scholarship constitute the institution’s principal assets and Brookings seeks to maintain high ethical standards in all its operations,” the institution said in a statement on Sunday. “Our policies on research independence and integrity reflect these values.”

Ted Gayer, who was named acting president, is set to hold the role until his planned departure this summer.

The court filing, which was made public last week, alleged that Allen met senior officials in Qatar, ostensibly in a personal capacity, and later reported his findings to senior officials in the Trump administration while covering up that he was being paid by the country.

Allen, who assumed the top job at Brookings in November 2017 after leading US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, has not been charged with any crime and has denied wrongdoing.

“We want to thank John for his contributions to Brookings, including his leadership in successfully guiding the institution during the pandemic, as well as his many years of service and sacrifice for our country,” the think-tank said.