Turns out that a US Republican senator helped secure the release of music producer Dallas Austin from a Dubai jail last week. As previously reported, Austin, who has produced music from the likes of Madonna, Pink and TLC, was arrested in Dubai after being found in possession of cocaine. With tough anti-drugs legislation in the Arab emirate, the producer was facing four years in jail, but was pardoned almost immediately by the state's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Following the news of Austin's release, a spokesman for conservative Senator Orrin Hatch confirmed he had had a role in achieving it. Hatch, a politician with music leanings, and possibly familiar to CMU readers for his support of tough legislation against file sharing, confirmed he had been contacted by Austin's lawyers, and that he had then spoken to the ambassador and consul of the United Arab Emirates in Washington on the producer's behalf. Hatch's statement is vague as to what exactly he did or said to help Austin - his spokesman simply observed that the senator has "good relations with the ambassador and other good people in Dubai". It is also unclear if Hatch and Austin know each other, though reports suggest they both employ the services of Atlanta based entertainment lawyer Joel Katz.
Hatch's statement concluded that he was "grateful to the leaders of Dubai for agreeing to provide a workable and compassionate solution for this situation", adding that he was confident that Austin would "learn from this experience". Yeah, learn to keep a senator's phone number in your mobile at all times.