TOKYO – Greg Kelly, the former Nissan director possibly facing up to two years in a Japanese prison, may soon find a powerful ally in the appointment of a new U.S. ambassador to Tokyo: Rahm Emanuel.
Nominated as the next top U.S. diplomat to the longtime Asian ally, Emanuel says he has ordered a review of Kelly’s legal odyssey in Japan and is making the matter a “top priority.”
During his Senate confirmation hearing on Oct. 20, the onetime Congressman and former chief of staff to President Barack Obama said he has already started an inquiry into Kelly’s case, in which the American executive was charged with financial misconduct at Nissan Motor Co.
“I want a report on my desk,” Emanuel said. “That goes from here to up here as a top priority.”
Emanuel added he would treat Kelly like a Congressional constituent who was in trouble.