Donald Trump Advisor on Trial for 'Espionage Lite,' Allegedly Trying to Influence Ex-President on Behalf of UAE

Yet another Trump administration official is in legal trouble; this time, it is former Donald Trump adviser and long-time friend Tom Barrack. He is allegedly part of a two-year effort to try and influence policy decisions by both the Trump campaign and the Trump administration to favor the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Barrack was indicted last year, along with assistant Matthew Grimes, as well as an Emirati official, for allegedly acting as a secret backchannel between the Trump administration and the UAE.

According to a report by CNN, he and Grimes allegedly conspired to use his close relationship with Trump to promote the UAE's interests. The former Trump advisor appeared in media interviews and advocated a candidate preferred by the Gulf country to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the UAE.

The two also allegedly helped UAE officials in their dealings with the White House and pushed back against a proposed Camp David summit between Gulf states and Qatar. That summit never happened.

Tom Barrack and Assistant Pleaded Not Guilty as Jury Selection Begins

Tom Barrack is a close personal friend of Donald Trump and had at one time served as the chairman of the Trump Inaugural Committee. He is also a wealthy businessman and had served as the chairman of the DigitalBridge Group Inc.,

However, he and co-defendant Matthew Grimes pleaded not guilty to their crimes as the trial began and jury selection was already underway. NBC News reported that they intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were strictly part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital.

The third co-defendant, the Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik, is currently at large. Reports stated that he fled the United States on April 2018 after he was interviewed by the FBI.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan will be overseeing the jury selection and has ruled that candidates who expressed "merely some dislike" of Trump could still be able to serve as part of the jury.

Donald Trump May Be Called In by the Defense to Testify

The central argument for Barrack and Grimes is that their interactions with Emirati officials were part of their work. They also argued that Trump himself knew of his contact with these officials, and so did members of the Trump State Department.

This means that the former president himself may be called in to testify on behalf of his former advisor and long-time friend. However, Reuters pointed out that Trump also faces legal trouble of his own, including his mishandling of classified documents and the January 6 insurrection, to name a few.

An August 26 filing by Barrack's lawyers stated that Trump, as well as members of his administration, "cannot be ruled out as potential witnesses."

Meanwhile, prosecutors believe that Barrack was given input by UAE officials on what to say in TV interviews, as well as what the former president has to say in a 2016 energy policy speech. The speech allegedly promoted the interests of UAE ally, Saudi Arabia.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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