Trump Ally Thomas Barrack Acquitted On Lobbying Charges

Topline

Thomas Barrack, a real estate investor and former adviser to President Donald Trump, was acquitted Friday on charges of lobbying Trump on behalf of the United Arab Emirates during his 2016 campaign and subsequent presidency.

Barrack, a former advisor to former president Donald Trump, was acquitted on lobbying charges.

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Key Facts

Barrack was acquitted of nine counts, including obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI agents in 2019 after he was investigated for his connection with Emirati representatives.

Matthew Grimes, one of Barrack’s former assistants, was acquitted of acting as a foreign agent and conspiracy to act as a foreign agent.

Attorneys representing Barrack, who is of Lebanese descent, argued the former adviser pushed for improved relations between the United States and the UAE without “direction or control.”

Prosecutors noted text messages sent between Barrack, Grimes and Emirati national Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi, whom prosecutors say acted as a proxy for UAE officials, indicated Barrack received input on how to lobby media and the U.S. government in favor of the Emirates.

Tangent

Other Trump allies have been convicted in recent criminal trials, including former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who was convicted in July of contempt of Congress. Ryan Stone, a longtime adviser, was pardoned by Trump in 2019 after he was convicted of lying under oath. Michael Flynn, a former White House National Security Advisor, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after he was charged and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his ties to the Russian government.

What We Don’t Know

Though he was charged alongside Barrack and Grimes, Alshahhi’s whereabouts are still unknown after he left the U.S. days after law enforcement agents interviewed him in 2018.

Surprising Fact

Members of the jury told Judge Brian Cogan that they “feel the government is staring at them and they’re getting a little uncomfortable” as the trial reached its end. Cogan later added the government’s arguments against Barrack were “right on the line of impermissible interference.”

Key Background

Barrack, the founder of Colony Capital, is a longtime Trump friend who fundraised his campaign and lauded the then-presidential candidate in a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump later distanced himself from Barrack after prosecutors began investigating his ties to the UAE. Prosecutors alleged Barrack sent a draft of a Trump campaign speech to Alshahhi for feedback before adding in pro-UAE phrasing. They then alleged Barrack told Alshahhi he would “remain on the sidelines” to help the Emirates while advising the former president.