The lawyer representing an ally and former campaign adviser to former President Donald Trump dismissed accusations that his client had acted as a foreign agent as “nothing short of ridiculous” as the federal trial began against California billionaire Thomas J. Barrack Jr. in New York. this week. Barrack, a 75-year-old former chairman of investment firm DigitalBridge Group Inc., and his former assistant, Matthew Grimes, face federal charges of acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the United Arab Emirates, obstruction of justice and making false statements. The US Department of Justice alleges that the defendants and their handlers in the UAE, including UAE national security officials, “took numerous steps to engage in and influence the conduct of the Trump presidential campaign.” As the trial began Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, Barak’s attorney, Michael Schachter, made an opening statement dismissing allegations that his client, who worked in real estate finance for decades, acted covertly on instruction. of the United Arab Emirates as “nothing short of ridiculous,” arguing that prosecutors had inflated “trivial acts,” the New York Times reported. FORMER TRUMP ADVISER TOM BARACK DECLARES TOLERANCE FOR BRIEFING UAE AGENT: LAWYER “He did things because he wanted to,” Schachter said. “The idea that Tom Barrack was controlled by anyone is nonsense.” Tom Barrack leaves federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on September 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman) Meanwhile, Assistant US Attorney Hiral Mehta accused Barrack of waging a “corrupt pursuit of money and power”, noting that his “unique access” to Trump allowed him to act as the wealthy nation’s “eyes, ears and voice” of the Persian Gulf. during the 2016 presidential election and early in the Trump administration, Politico reported. At the same time, the energy-rich US ally funneled millions of dollars into business ventures run by Barak and his co-defendants, the prosecutor said. Tom Barrack, a close adviser to former President Donald Trump and chairman of his inaugural committee, leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in downtown Brooklyn after an appearance on July 26, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Barak, a speaker of Lebanese Arab descent, was arrested last year and released on $250 million bail. Both he and Grimes have pleaded not guilty. Before he was impeached, Barack attracted attention by raising $107 million to celebrate Trump’s inauguration after the 2016 election. Tom Barrack, former counsel to former President Donald Trump, leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York during a short break during jury selection for his trial on Sept. 19, 2022, in Brooklyn. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) The Los Angeles-based private equity manager was a key figure in the UAE’s investments in a technology and real estate fund totaling $374 million. Prosecutors say that while he nurtured those business deals, he persuaded Trump to take meetings and phone calls with UAE leaders. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Other alleged efforts included writing a campaign speech for Trump that praised a member of the country’s royal family, passing information to the Emirates about how senior US officials felt about the Qatar boycott, and promising to promote the UAE’s interests if he was appointed as an ambassador or envoy to the Middle East. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
