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Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. Prosecutors allege he used his decades-long friendship with Trump to “illegally provide” government officials from the UAE with access to — and information about — the president and top officials. Jackson told jurors that the government’s claim of overwhelming evidence against Barrack was “a joke,” and that there was “nothing nefarious” about his client’s dealings with Emirati officials. Jackson further argued the government had no direct evidence that Barrack had struck a deal with the UAE. Grimes' attorney, Abbe Lowell, disputed that his client was an unregistered foreign agent, saying he did what his boss Barrack told him to do, not what UAE officials requested.

☆ Trump ally Barrack traded access for UAE money, prosecutors say as trial nears end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, exits the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., October 3, 2022. Abu Dhabi then invested $374 million from its sovereign wealth funds with Barrack, prosecutors say. "Mr. Barrack traded his political access for a long-term relationship with top UAE officials ... who controlled vast oil wealth," Ryan Harris, an assistant U.S. attorney, told jurors on Tuesday. Barrack himself took the stand last week, testifying that he never agreed to act at Abu Dhabi's direction or control. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

After he received the request, Barrack said, he turned to employees at his private equity fund, Colony Capital, to draft Trump's remarks. Prosecutors allege that in doing so, Barrack was trying to cash in on his ties to Trump while acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the UAE. Barrack testified that one of the points of the energy comments was to reassure foreign governments after a blistering speech Trump had given about foreign policy, in which he bashed China and Middle Eastern countries. Barrack testified that he, indeed, ran the draft speech by his UAE contacts and wound up incorporating some of their suggestions. But Trump and his campaign essentially threw out that version of the speech, Barrack said, in favor of one he considered "imbecilic."

☆ Barrack testifies he told Trump to use Khashoggi murder to end Qatar blockade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barrack, 75, is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, but the country is close with the UAE. U.S. intelligence says the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler. The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others began in 2017. Prosecutors say that during the blockade, Barrack told Rashid Al Malik - an associate also accused of being an Emirati agent - that the United States was considering hosting a summit to resolve the conflict. Al Malik, who is at large, then told UAE officials about the possible meeting, prosecutors say.

☆ Trump ally Barrack can be questioned on Khashoggi comments, Saudi nuclear plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While Barrack is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, the country and the UAE are close allies. Cogan also said he would let prosecutors ask Barrack about a plan he pushed in the early days of the Trump administration to construct 40 nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. Barrack is not charged with any crimes over the civil nuclear plan, which fell through. One of prosecutors' major charges is that Emirati officials provided input to Barrack on what Trump should say in the speech. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump was seen as someone who couldn't properly spell 'Middle East,' according to the former president's advisor and billionaire friend
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tom Barrack, a billionaire financier, took the stand on Monday during his own criminal trial. Barrack testified that his clients mocked Trump's spelling skills, according to The Times of Israel. In a risky move, Tom Barrack, founder of Colony Capital, took the stand on Monday for his own criminal trial. The former president was seen as someone who "could not spell 'Middle East,' Barrack testified, according to The Times of Israel. It's unclear if the two are still friends, but they have spoken at least once since Barrack's trial began in September, a source told CBS News.

☆ Trump Ally Thomas Barrack Testifies at His Own Foreign Lobbying Trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Thomas Barrack said he didn’t do the bidding of United Arab Emirates officials and was acting on his own business and political interests. Thomas Barrack , a close Donald Trump ally accused of illegally lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, testified at his own trial Monday, telling a federal jury in Brooklyn that his association with the former president proved disastrous for his investment business. Mr. Barrack, former chairman of investment firm Colony Capital Inc., is accused of using his ties to push Mr. Trump’s campaign and administration toward policies that benefited the U.A.E.

☆ Trump's billionaire friend Tom Barrack reportedly called his ties to the former president 'disastrous' for his business
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Trump advisor Tom Barrack is charged with illegal lobbying on behalf of the UAE. In testimony on Monday, the billionaire reportedly said Trump was "disastrous" for his business. The billionaire has been charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates between 2016 and 2018. Barrack was charged in July of last year and his trial began earlier this month. A day before the testimony, Trump took to Truth Social to support Barrack, calling him a "highly respected businessman" who is "being unfairly persecuted."

Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors said UAE officials also pressed Barrack for details on who Trump would pick for various high-level jobs, including CIA director and at the State and Defense departments. Barrack's lawyers have said their client is his own man and was doing what he thought was right — not acting as an Emirati agent. Even viewed in the light most favorable to the government, the evidence shows only that the 'UAE' sometimes asked Mr. Barrack to do something, or to consider doing something, and Mr. Barrack then decided for himself whether he would do it or not." He said that Barrack had pushed him to convince then-President Trump to support Qatar in a blockade over the UAE.

They say Emirati sovereign wealth funds invested $374 million in Barrack's private equity firm Colony Capital, now known as DigitalBridge Group Inc (DBRG.N), in 2017 and 2018. Barrack's defense has argued his close relationship with Qatar shows he was not an Emirati agent. To prove Barrack was a UAE agent, prosecutors must prove he agreed to act under the Middle Eastern country's direction or control. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, Trump said he did not believe Barrack was a UAE agent, and that Barrack never spoke to him about speeches or "what to say on this subject." "Tom Barrack is a highly respected businessman whose DREAM was to see PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, a very good and noble thing," Trump wrote.

☆ Trump ally Barrack to testify in own defense at ‘foreign agent’ trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK — Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to take the witness stand in his own defense next week in his trial on charges of being an illegal foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Barrack’s lawyer Randall Jackson said in open court on Friday that Barrack would the stand Friday afternoon. Later, prosecutor Sam Nitze said he expected to take substantial time to cross-examine the current witness, former Barrack lawyer Brady Cassis, meaning Barrack would not take the stand Friday. Barrack, 75, has pleaded not guilty, as has his co-defendant Grimes. Even in instances where his interests and goals aligned with the UAE’s, he was acting on his own volition, they said.

☆ Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Testifies in Defense of Trump Ally
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified Thursday in support of a Donald Trump ally on trial for alleged illegal lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, telling jurors that defendant Thomas Barrack at one point pushed a policy stance contrary to the interests of the small Gulf state. Mr. Mnuchin, who was treasury secretary during President Trump’s term in office, appeared in a Brooklyn federal court as a defense witness for Mr. Barrack, former chairman of investment firm Colony Capital Inc. who served as an informal adviser to Mr. Trump’s campaign. Federal prosecutors allege Mr. Barrack secretly worked to steer Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and administration toward policies that U.A.E. officials favored.

☆ Trump ally Barrack to testify in own defense at 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies DigitalBridge Group Inc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to take the witness stand in his own defense next week in his trial on charges of being an illegal foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Barrack's lawyer Randall Jackson said in open court on Friday that Barrack would the stand Friday afternoon. Later, prosecutor Sam Nitze said he expected to take substantial time to cross-examine the current witness, former Barrack lawyer Brady Cassis, meaning Barrack would not take the stand Friday. Barrack, 75, has pleaded not guilty, as has his co-defendant Grimes. Even in instances where his interests and goals aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own volition, they said.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Barrack, 75, used his influence with the Trump campaign and administration to push the United Arab Emirates' interests without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by law. Cogan said there was therefore "some indication of bias" from Mnuchin's testimony given that the UAE would likely not want a jury to convict Barrack. He said he would nonetheless limit prosecutors' ability to detail the "mind-boggling" amounts of money involved in Mnuchin's dealings with the UAE. The trial began on Sept. 19, and prosecutors rested their case earlier this week. Mnuchin is not the first former Trump administration official to take the stand in the case.

☆ Feds plan to call Leonardo DiCaprio and former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly at trial of Fugees rapper Pras Michel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pras Michel, a founding member of the Fugees hip-hop group, is standing trial in DC next month. He's accused of illegally lobbying Trump officials to resolve an inquiry into the 1MDB scandal. In a court filing Sunday, prosecutors revealed a witness list that includes DiCaprio and top Trump administration officials, including former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former national security advisor H.R. As part of the scheme, prosecutors said, Michel recruited about 20 so-called "straw donors" who made campaign contributions with Low's money. Michel is charged with violating both FARA and that other statute, known as 951, in his alleged lobbying schemes.

He also provided UAE officials with sensitive information, including internal discussions within the Trump administration concerning the blockade of Qatar by the UAE, Mehta said. When he was asked by the FBI about his dealing with UAE officials and the actions he'd taken, Barrack "started lying" and "lied and lied again." Schachter argued that the feds were blowing up "meaningless, inconsequential acts," including Barrack praising the UAE as an "important ally" during a TV interview. "Barack Obama has said the same thing," Schachter told the jury. While Grimes did set up appointments for Barrack, including with UAE officials, he did so at his boss' request, Lowell said, adding that he’d also get Barrack his coffee and smoothies and babysit his kids.

☆ Trump ally Barrack's trial on foreign agent charges moves to opening statements
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tom Barrack watches jury selection in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S. September 19, 2022. Tom Barrack, a private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump is charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government as required. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. Trump may be called as a witness at the trial, Cogan told several jurors. read moreBefore opening statements on Wednesday, prosecutors will eliminate six jurors of their choice, while the defendants will together strike 13.

☆ Trump may be called to testify at ally's foreign agent trial, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn told several prospective jurors for Barrack's trial about the prospect of Trump testifying to gauge whether they might be biased against the defendant. Barrack raised money for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. Twelve jurors and four alternates are due to serve in the trial, which is expected to last about one month. Cogan dismissed one prospective juror who said she did not like Trump, prompting the judge to ask if she could set her feelings aside. the prospective juror asked.

☆ Trump ally's trial on foreign agent charges kicks off with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. The two defendants intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. read moreU.S. District Judge Brian Cogan told potential jurors not to "exaggerate potential unavailability" to try to get out of service. "You're going to find this trial, if you're chosen as a juror, to be particularly interesting," Cogan told them. Barrack's lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

☆ Trump Associate Heads to Trial Over Alleged Illegal Foreign Lobbying
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( James Fanelli | Rory Jones | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Thomas Barrack, arriving at court in Brooklyn last year, tried to influence U.S. officials at the direction of the United Arab Emirates, federal prosecutors allege. A confidant of former President Donald Trump goes on trial beginning this week on charges he illegally pushed U.S. officials to support policies favoring the United Arab Emirates, a case that could detail the small Gulf state’s back-channel connections and outsize sway in Washington. Thomas Barrack , the former chairman of investment firm Colony Capital Inc., is accused of acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General.

☆ Trump ally’s trial on foreign agent charges to start with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK — Jury selection is set to begin on Monday in the trial of Tom Barrack, the private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, on charges he acted as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government. Barrack, who chaired Trump’s inauguration committee, has pleaded not guilty, as has his former assistant and co-defendant Matthew Grimes. They intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. After hundreds of potential jurors filled out questionnaires, Cogan wrote on Sept. 2 that candidates who expressed “merely some dislike” of Trump could still serve. Barrack’s lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

☆ The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Pharmaceutical companies sued to lift border-agency ban on practice that accounts for up to 10% of national plasma supply. 3 min readMexicans Can Cross U.S. Border to Get Paid for Plasma, Court RulesBailout-prevention proposals could call for firms to raise billions in debt to absorb losses. 5 min readBig Regional Banks Might Face New Rules for Dealing With a CrisisFinding China-made alloys in F-35 jets put U.S. officials on alert as they seek to limit vulnerabilities. 5 min readPentagon Pushes Defense Companies to Limit Use of Chinese SuppliesDuring a televised interview, the president also reiterated comments that U.S. troops could defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. 2 min readTrump Associate Heads to Trial Over Alleged Illegal Foreign Lobbying Thomas Barrack is accused of trying to illegally influence White House policies on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

☆ A Trump advisor's trial could shed light on 'espionage lite' and foreign influence around the former president
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But in a court filing, federal prosecutors said Barrack was not referencing Trump's campaign or the United States. Indeed, Barrack is only the latest Trump ally to face charges in connection with an alleged foreign influence campaign. In court papers, federal prosecutors alleged that Barrack agreed in the spring of 2016 to develop a backchannel between the Emiratis and Trump campaign. The prosecution of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort kicked off a new era of foreign influence enforcement. Through his lawyers, Barrack has also argued that his contacts with Emiratis were no secret to the Trump campaign and the former president's administration.

☆ Trump ally's trial on foreign agent charges to start with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young/File PhotoNEW YORK, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Jury selection is set to begin on Monday in the trial of Tom Barrack, the private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, on charges he acted as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government. read moreBarrack, who chaired Trump's inauguration committee, has pleaded not guilty, as has his former assistant and co-defendant Matthew Grimes. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. Barrack's lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

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