Trump ally Tom Barrack's UAE ties not 'nefarious,' defense says
Reuters
Published Nov 01, 2022 10:28AM ET
Updated Nov 01, 2022 05:12PM ET
By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -There was "nothing nefarious" about former private equity executive Tom Barrack's ties with United Arab Emirates officials, Barrack's defense lawyer said in closing arguments on Tuesday, denying prosecutors' charges that former U.S. President Donald Trump's onetime ally was an illegal foreign agent.
Barrack's lawyer, Randall Jackson, said there was no evidence Barrack agreed to act as a UAE agent during either of his two 2016 meetings with UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nayhan, the second of which took place during a bike ride in Morocco.
"The theory of the government is that they have come to some sort of supersecret spy agreement during this first meeting, and during the second meeting they're going to firm it up," Jackson told the jury in federal court in Brooklyn.
"No one, if they want to have a serious discussion about an illegal arrangement with a 70-year-old man, says 'Let's do it on a bike ride.'"
Barrack, now 75, pleaded not guilty last year to charges of pushing the UAE's interests to Trump's campaign and administration without informing the U.S. attorney general that he was an agent, as required by law.
Prosecutors say Abu Dhabi paid him back by investing $374 million from its sovereign wealth funds with Barrack's company, then known as Colony Capital (NYSE:DBRG).
Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, said in a rebuttal argument that the defense mischaracterized the government's description of Barrack's meeting with Sheikh Tahnoun to try to "make a cartoon of the evidence." Nitze said there were also private meetings on the Morocco trip.
"The defense needs to talk about supersecret meetings and superspies because if they grapple with the law as it is ... the case is over for them," Nitze said.
During the six-week trial, prosecutors showed jurors hundreds of text messages and emails between Barrack, his former assistant and co-defendant Matthew Grimes, and a businessman named Rashid Al-Malik, whom prosecutors say acted as an intermediary between the two and UAE officials.
Grimes has pleaded not guilty. Al-Malik is at large.
'PERFECTLY NORMAL'
Jurors last month heard prosecution testimony from former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said he was unaware of any role by Barrack in U.S. foreign policy.
"How were the defendants able to operate with impunity?" Ryan Harris, another prosecutor, said in his closing statement earlier on Tuesday. "Because they never told ... public officials charged with stopping foreign influence campaigns."
Jackson countered on Tuesday that it was "perfectly normal" for international businessmen like Barrack to meet with UAE officials, several of whom - including Sheikh Tahnoun - had authority over both policy and investment matters. Barrack argues his interactions were part of his role running Colony, now known as DigitalBridge Group Inc.
Get The News You Want
Jackson pointed jurors to the fact that Barrack disclosed his contacts with UAE officials on a State Department form when he was being considered for diplomatic postings early in the Trump administration as evidence.
"No one discloses this kind of information if they're trying to hide or deceive someone about the nature of the relationship," Jackson said.
Barrack himself took the stand last week, testifying that he never agreed to act at Abu Dhabi's direction. He also pointed to his support of UAE rival Qatar during a 2017 blockade of that country by Middle Eastern neighbors as evidence he was not promoting the UAE's interests.
"At the UAE's most critical foreign policy moment, he not only doesn't sit quiet, he not only doesn't help the UAE's position, he literally goes to the opposite," Jackson said.
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.