A close friend of Trump was arrested on charges of trying to illegally influence the foreign policy of the former US president.
The US Department of Justice on Tuesday morning arrested Thomas Barak, a stock market investor and close friend of former President Donald Trump, in Los Angeles on federal charges of illegally pressuring Trump on behalf of the UAE.
Barak is accused of secretly seeking to advance the interests of the UAE by influencing the foreign policy positions of Trump’s campaign from 2016 to April 2018, during his presidency, on the advice of senior UAE officials.
During the period, Barak allegedly provided informal advice to US officials on Middle East policy and sought to gain a key position in the US government, including the US Special Representative for the Middle East.
The US Department of Justice said Barak and two other defendants, one of whom was an Emirati, were trying to influence the 2016 election under the leadership of UAE officials.
According to Fars, the US Department of Justice stressed that the arrest of Barak is a warning message to all those who are trying to act in favor of a foreign country without informing the government.
