Another trial tied to former president Trump kicked off on Wednesday in New York, in a federal court in Brooklyn. Accused of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the DOJ, Tom Barrack is the latest Trump ally to face legal peril.
‘Nothing short of ridiculous’: Trump ally Tom Barrack rejects foreign agent claims as trial opens
That ally, real estate investor Tom Barrack, was accused by prosecutors of a “corrupt pursuit of money and power,” on the opening day of what could be a far-reaching trial related to foreign influence peddling in U.S. government affairs.Assistant U.S.
Barrack and Grimes are accused of acting as agents of a foreign government without notifying the Department of Justice. Barrack, who chaired Trump’s inaugural committee in 2017, is also facing charges of lying to investigators in the probe and of obstruction of justice.A third defendant, Emirati businessman Rashid al-Malik, has also been charged in the alleged scheme but remains at large.
They also allege the defendants shared nonpublic information about the Trump transition — and, once Trump became president, internal White House deliberations regarding issues important to the UAE — with their connections in the Emirati government, which went as high as Mohamed bin Zayed, who at that time was crown prince of Abu Dhabi and is now the UAE president and ruler of Abu Dhabi.
At the same time, Schachter repeatedly downplayed the significance of what authorities laid out as part of Barrack’s alleged influence campaign, which Schachter characterized as the “most meaningless, most inconsequential acts.” He also noted that, at times, Barrack’s private advice to Trump ran counter to the UAE’s interests.
“The difference here is that the case is being used in a non-espionage context, which is a relatively rare way to use this particular law,” Robert Kelner, an attorney at Covington & Burling who advises clients on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, said ahead of the trial.