Fundraiser for Trump campaign indicted over unregistered UAE lobbying News
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Fundraiser for Trump campaign indicted over unregistered UAE lobbying

US federal prosecutors in Brooklyn Tuesday indicted a fundraiser for the Donald Trump campaign on multiple charges amidst allegations that he illegally lobbied on behalf of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Thomas Barrack, the owner of a private equity firm, DigitalBridge Group has been charged with receiving funds from the UAE amounting to $374 million in 2017. The indictment stated that two separate capital commitments of $74 million and a pledged $300 million were invested in the company. However it is not clear from the federal court documents whether DigitalBridge Group received the funds. According to the indictment, Barrack sought investment from the UAE while lobbing on their behalf but was not registered as a foreign agent at the time. Secretly lobbying the Trump administration between 2016 to 2018, Barrack was a frequent guest at the White House. Seeking investments from UAE wealth funds and lobbying at the same time is a criminal act according to federal prosecutors.

The seven charges include making false statements and acting illegally as an unregistered foreign lobbyist. Barrack is not the first to be accused of illegal lobbying within the Trump administration, with Steve Wynne, an informal advisor to Trump, also being accused of illegally securing diplomatic favor for China.

Barrack pleaded not guilty to all charges last year and has since stepped down as CEO of DigitalBridge Group. Jury selection is set to begin in August with the trial commencing later this year.

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