Thomas Barrack: Trump ally arrested and charged with acting as foreign agent

Longtime Trump confidant Thomas Barrack has been arrested in Los Angeles and charged with acting as a foreign agent of the United Arab Emirates, the Department of Justice has announced.

According to the DOJ, Mr Barrack and two other defendants “are accused of acting and conspiring to act as agents of the UAE between April 2016 and April 2018.”

In addition, Mr Barrack has been charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal law enforcement at an FBI interview in June 2019.

Mr Barrack, the 74-year-old former CEO of Colony Capital, was an informal advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and served as the chairman of Mr Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Prosecutors say he exploited those connections to advance the UAE’s interests.

“Barrack is alleged to have abused his access to government officials to illegally advance the interests of foreign governments,” FBI Assistant Director Calvin Shivers said in a statement. “The FBI stands in concert with our external partners to ensure all who seek to wield illegal influence are charged for their crimes.”

The other two defendants are Matthew Grimes, 27, and Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi, 43, a UAE national. All three are accused of lobbying for the Arab country without registering as foreign agents, as they would be required to do by law.

“The defendants repeatedly capitalized on Barrack’s friendships and access to a candidate who was eventually elected President, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the American media to advance the policy goals of a foreign government without disclosing their true allegiances,” said DOJ Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark Lesko. “The conduct alleged in the indictment is nothing short of a betrayal of those officials in the United States, including the former President.”

This is a breaking news story. More to follow