By Dareh GregorianNBC
News
Tom Barrack, a close friend of former President Donald Trump who has helped him raise funds for his political campaigns, was found not guilty Friday of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government for the United Arab Emirates during Trump's tenure and lying to the FBI about his contacts with that country.
After deliberating for two days, the jury in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, voted to acquit Barrack, who was accused by the Prosecutor's Office of using his friendship with Trump to "illegally provide" access and privileged information about the House. Blanca and the 2016 presidential campaign to officials from the United Arab Emirates.
Barrack, who served as chairman of Trump's inaugural committee, was charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Justice Department, a violation that carries up to 10 years in prison.
In addition,
he was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI
about his contacts in the Emirates during a 2019 interview with federal agents.
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Barrack, a California billionaire head of a private equity firm, denied acting as an agent for the United Arab Emirates, saying he had only arranged meetings between Emirati and White House officials and made glowing comments in the media about the UAE government. the United Arab Emirates because he had wanted it that way, not because he was ordered to.
Tom Barrack leaves federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 21, 2022.AP
Barrack's lawyer, Randall Jackson, claimed during his closing argument Tuesday that there was "nothing nefarious" about Barrack's dealings with Emirati leaders, noting that the head of the private equity firm had dealt with top foreign officials in over 100 countries over the years.
“It is perfectly normal in business for a company to try to satisfy both the commercial interests and the political interests of its clients,” Jackson said.
Prosecutors largely based their case on text messages and emails that Barrack and Grimes exchanged with an Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik, whom they described as their go-between in the two's dealings with Emirati officials.
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The messages showed UAE officials giving Barrack feedback on what he should say in television interviews and providing input on what Trump should say about the country's energy policy in a 2016 campaign speech. An official also pressed Barrack. Barrack for details on Trump's potential pick for several high-level positions, including CIA director and positions in the State and Defense departments.
Barrack denied sharing that information while testifying in his own defense and also denied lying to the FBI.
The verdict came at the end of a six-week trial that included testimony from former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
Barrack testified for five days.