Trump ally Tom Barrack charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2021/07/20/Trump-inaugural-committee-head-accused-of-being-UAE-agent/stories/ [login to see] 73
The chair of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he secretly conspired to influence U.S. policy to benefit the United Arab Emirates, even while he was seeking a position as an American diplomat.

Tom Barrack, 74, of Santa Monica, Calif., was among three men charged in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., with acting as unregistered foreign agents as they tried to influence U.S. policy on the UAE’s behalf while Mr. Trump was running in 2016 and later while he was president.

Besides conspiracy, Mr. Barrack was charged with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 2019 interview with federal agents. Also charged in a seven-count indictment were Matthew Grimes, 27, of Aspen, Colo., who is a former executive at Mr. Barrack’s company, and Rashid al Malik, 43, a businessman from the United Arab Emirates who prosecutors said acted as a conduit to that nation’s rulers.