The Trump administration is set to give an African leader accused of pilfering his impoverished country's resources to feed a lifestyle of luxury cars, mansions and superyachts a temporary pass on U.S. corruption sanctions to travel to a high-level U.N. gathering in New York and visit other American cities.
Two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said the State Department is processing a one-month sanctions waiver for the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang, following recommendations that it is in the U.S. national interest to blunt growing Chinese influence in the West African country and boost American oil and gas business interests there. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.
