Tom Barrack, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was found not guilty of illegal foreign lobbying charges by a New York City federal jury on Friday.
The acquittal is a major defeat for the liberal rumor mill that was convinced Barrack was at the center of some nefarious plot with Trump.
“I thought that was actually a great thing,” Barrack said of his efforts to help Trump.
“The idea of having somebody that had knowledge in both confused arenas that could create some web of understanding and tolerance is what I know we all needed.”
Barrack told the jury that, rather than profiting off working with Trump while the 45th president was in office, his business suffered.
After winning his acquittal, Barrack, Trump’s one-time inaugural committee chairman, said:
“I’m so thankful for this system.”
BIG NEWS— Trump ally Tom Barrack has just been found NOT GUILTY on illegal foreign lobbying charges
Jury had deliberated since Wednesday
Huge blow to federal prosecutors who had accused the billionaire businessman of improperly acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the UAE
— Olivia Rubin (@OliviaRubinABC) November 4, 2022
According to The New York Post:
The jury deliberated for about three days before returning the not-guilty verdict. One of Barrack’s assistants, Matthew Grimes, was also cleared by the jury.
In closing statements Tuesday, Barrack attorney Randall Jackson said his client was a booster of Trump’s 2016 campaign because he’s a loyal friend of the former president — not because of a devious plan to carry water for the UAE.
According to CNN:
Barrack, his former employee Matthew Grimes and an Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik were indicted last year and accused of acting as a secret backchannel for the United Arab Emirates.
Prosecutors allege that Al Malik was secretly operating in the US as a UAE government agent.
Al Malik fled the US shortly after he was interviewed by the FBI in 2018 and remains at large.
Grimes was acquitted of both charges against him: acting as an unregistered foreign agent in the US, and of conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent in the US.
Barrack also faced one count of obstruction of justice and six counts of making false statements.
He was acquitted of all seven of those counts.
Trump ally Tom Barrack found not guilty on foreign lobbying charges – ABC News
Good!
Even a Brooklyn jury saw through DOJ’s true motive.
Political persecution. https://t.co/pPA7vRnTFv
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) November 4, 2022
