FBI agents raided the Ibiza, Spain, vacation rental of 41-year-old James “Fergie” Chambers, a US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects worldwide, in the days following his arrest last month, the Guardian has learned. Baltasar Garzón, a human rights lawyer representing Chambers, revealed the details in an exclusive interview. Chambers is wanted for extradition by the Trump administration for alleged financial support of Hamas, as well as other charges.
Garzón, one of Europe’s most famous human rights lawyers, characterized the case as “very strange, one of the most remarkable I’ve worked on”. He told the Guardian the indictment against Chambers was “pretty weak and diffuse”. The case centers on Chambers allegedly laundering $7.5m that he wired several years ago from a US bank account to Tunisia, where Chambers lived at the time, and allegedly using the money to support the Palestinian group.
The exact details of the indictment against Chambers remain sealed. Chambers, heir to one of the richest families in the US, has supported a handful of humanitarian projects in Gaza with funds totaling more than $1m, a member of his legal team said shortly after his 10 July arrest. It is the first known case of the US seeking to extradite a citizen over alleged support for Hamas.
Garzón spoke with the Guardian on Thursday shortly after his second visit with Chambers, now in his second month in a Spanish jail. The former judge and veteran human rights lawyer said the FBI didn’t find anything in the raid. He also indicated that the road ahead for Chambers may be longer than what a Spanish official told the Guardian shortly after his arrest, potentially lasting months.
First, US authorities have until Wednesday – 45 days after his arrest – to submit documentation supporting the extradition petition and the underlying indictment, which remains sealed, Garzón said. If the US doesn’t meet this deadline, the petition expires and Chambers is released. If the deadline is met, the Spanish government evaluates the paperwork over several weeks.
After that, the case winds its way through various legal and government bodies. One thing being considered from the start of the process and forward is if the petition is politically motivated, which would allow the Spanish government to deny extradition. Chambers, a self-described communist and anti-imperialist, is heir of the Cox family, owners of Atlanta-based Cox Communications.
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