Trump Advisor Indicted For Alleged Lobbying On Behalf Of UAE

SANTA MONICA, CA — A former chairman to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee was arrested Tuesday in connection with a federal indictment alleging that he and two other men unlawfully lobbied on behalf of the United Arab Emirates during the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The seven-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday in a Brooklyn, NY, federal court. It accuses the three men of acting and conspiring to act as agents of the UAE between April 2016 and April 2018.

Thomas Joseph Barrack, 74, of Santa Monica, along with Matthew Grimes, 27, of Colorado, were arrested Tuesday morning in California, according to federal authorities. Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi, 43, of the UAE, remains at-large.

Barrack and Grimes appeared Tuesday afternoon at a federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

The indictment also charges Barrack with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 20, 2019 interview with federal law enforcement agents.

Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Mark J. Lesko, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and indictment.

"As alleged, the defendants, using their positions of power and influence in a presidential election year, engaged in a conspiracy to illegally advance and promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates in this country, in flagrant violation of their obligation to notify the Attorney General of their activities and in derogation of the American people’s right to know when a foreign government seeks to influence the policies of our government and our public opinion," Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis said in a statement.

"These arrests serve as a warning to those who act at the direction of foreign governments without disclosing their actions, as well as those who seek to mislead investigators about their actions, that they will be brought to justice and face the consequences," Kasulis said.

Kasulis thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the FBI’s Los Angeles and Denver Field Offices for their assistance.

"The defendants repeatedly capitalized on Barrack’s friendships and access to a candidate who was eventually elected President, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the American media to advance the policy goals of a foreign government without disclosing their true allegiances," Acting Assistant Attorney General Lesko said in a statement.

"The conduct alleged in the indictment is nothing short of a betrayal of those officials in the United States, including the former President," Lesko said. "Through this indictment, we are putting everyone—regardless of their wealth or perceived political power—on notice that the Department of Justice will enforce the prohibition of this sort of undisclosed foreign influence."

"American citizens have a right to know when foreign governments, or their agents, are attempting to exert influence on our government," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney said.

"This is especially important to Americans during a Presidential election year, and the laws on the books were created to protect our nation from such untoward influence," Sweeney said. "This case is about secret attempts to influence our highest officials, and when that corrupt behavior was discovered, we allege Mr. Barrack went even further, obstructing and lying to FBI special agents. In case it needs repeating, each of those bad choices is a federal felony, and each now comes with significant consequences - the first being today's indictment."

Barrack is a billionaire who worked in real estate. He served as Deputy Interior Undersecretary in the Reagan administration.

"As alleged in the indictment, the defendants used Barrack’s status as a senior outside advisor to the Campaign and, subsequently, to senior United States government officials, to advance the interests of and provide intelligence to the UAE while simultaneously failing to notify the Attorney General that their actions were taken at the direction of senior UAE officials," federal officials said.

"On multiple occasions, Barrack referred to Alshahhi as the UAE’s “secret weapon” to advance its foreign policy agenda in the United States," federal officials allege.

A spokesperson for Barrack said he has made himself available to investigators since the start — that he is not guilty.

The Office’s Public Integrity Section will handle the government's case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Reilly, Ryan Harris, Samuel Nitze and Hiral Mehta of the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie from the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

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