FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2015, file photo, retired Gen. John Allen testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to examine the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, the prestigious Brookings Institution placed Alllen, its president, Allen, on administrative leave amid a federal investigation into his foreign lobbying. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The Associated Press
The president of the Brookings Institution resigned Sunday amid a federal investigation into whether he illegally lobbied on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar.
Retired Gen. John Allen wrote in a letter to the think tank that he was leaving with a 'œheavy heart" but did not offer a direct explanation.
'œI know it is best for all concerned in this moment,'ť Allen's letter said.
A retired four-star Marine general who led U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Allen's announcement came less than a week after the Associated Press was first to report on new court filings that showed the FBI had seized Allen's electronic data as part of the lobbying probe.
Allen has not been charged with any crimes and, through a spokesman, has denied any wrongdoing.
FILE - Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 20, 2012. A former high-ranking U.S. ambassador admitted Friday, June 3, 2022, to illegal foreign lobbying on behalf of Qatar after demanding that prosecutors tell him why Allen, a retired four-star general who worked with him on the effort, has not been charged. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
The Associated Press