The Clinton White House announced its nomination of Nemazee as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina in 1999. He became a top supporter and fundraiser for Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. He served as the National Finance Chair for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign, and as the National Finance Chair for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
In 2009, he was arrested on charges of bank fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Southern District of New York’s office identified Citibank, Bank of America, and HSBC as the victims of his crimes–the dollar amount of the fraud totaling 300 million dollars. In July 2010, at the age of 60, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and after serving 8 and a half years of his sentence, he was released in 2019–a benefactor of Trump’s justice overhaul.
For the past 15 years, Nemazee has watched as campaigns on both the Democratic and Republican sides have raised and funded their elections. Persia, Politics & Prison: A Life in Three Parts is his story in his own words. This is a story of the world of Iranian Americans, the inner-workings of the political system of the United States, and a frank inside look into the penal system and the need for prison reform in the United States.
