The American authorities announced Tuesday, July 20 that they had indicted a relative of Donald Trump, accusing him of having tried to influence the candidate who became president for the benefit of the United Arab Emirates between 2016 and 2018, without declaring his lobbying activities.
Thomas Barrack and two other men are accused of seeking to guide Donald Trump's foreign policy during the 2016 campaign and, subsequently, that of his administration.
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The other two defendants "
have repeatedly capitalized on Thomas Barrack's friendly relations and his access to a candidate who was ultimately elected president
" to "
promote the interests of a foreign government without revealing their true allegiance,
" the official said. Deputy Minister of Justice for National Security, Mark Lesko.
Trump's informal campaign adviser
Businessman Thomas Barrack, 74, had been an "
informal advisor
" to the Republican candidate's campaign between April and November 2016, before being appointed head of the organizing committee for the 45th president's nomination. the United States. From January 2017, he had advised senior government officials on US policy in the Middle East. According to the ministry, Thomas Barrack would have included statements favorable to the Emirates in a campaign speech by Donald Trump on US energy policy in May 2016.
In March 2017, he reportedly campaigned for the appointment of a candidate dubbed by the Emirates for the post of US ambassador to that country. Thomas Barrack also reportedly provided confidential information to one of the other defendants about the Trump administration's reactions to talks between US officials and Emirati representatives in the White House. Lobbying practices in favor of foreign governments are closely supervised in the United States, a country of which the United Arab Emirates is a traditional regional ally.
Before Thomas Barrack, several other relatives of Donald Trump were condemned for their activities for the benefit of foreign governments. Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Donald Trump in 2016, and his former adviser Roger Stone were notably implicated in the investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election. They were pardoned by the ex-president at the end of his term.