UPDATE: Dallas Austin Received Assistance from Republican Senator

According to the Associated Press, Grammy-wining producer Dallas Austin received some assistance in his recent drug possession case in Dubai from an unlikely source. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah reportedly reached out to the ambassador and consulate of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member state, on behalf of Austin. As previously reported, Austin was detained in Dubai in May on charges of cocaine possession and just last week was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. Soon after, he received a full pardon and was deported to the United States. Hatch’s office confirmed that the Senator reached out to the government of Dubai and told the AP that Hatch has “good relations with the ambassador and other good people in Dubai.” Hatch, who is a composer and songwriter himself, is also a client of Joel Katz, Austin's Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer who traveled to the Middle East to help secure his release.