Richard G Olson

Richard G. Olson, a retired diplomat who recently served as ambassador to Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, said in April 2022 he would plead guilty to charges of illegally lobbying for the government of Qatar and failure to disclose gifts he received while he was an ambassador, according to court documents. Mr. Olson, who worked as a Foreign Service officer for 34 years, was U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2015 until 2016, when he retired. From 2012 to 2015, he was the ambassador to Pakistan. His first tour as an ambassador was in the United Arab Emirates, from 2008 to 2011. Mr. Olson was also posted in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Iraq. He retired in November 2016.