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In May 2016, as Donald Trump began to win in the Republican primary, his friend Tom Barack sent an email to an official in the United Arab Emirates.
“Trump is that guy,” Barack said, suggesting “HH” could pack.
Federal prosecutors charged ‘HH’ with being ‘His Royal Highness’, in this case UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan or MBZ. They see the email as part of Barack’s efforts to curry favor with the Gulf states, suggesting he could steer U.S. policy in their favor. Other emails appear to show Barack trying to arrange a meeting between Trump and MBZ.
The email was one of dozens of messages shown to jurors in Barack’s trial on Thursday, accusing him of trying to influence the Trump campaign and the White House as an unregistered Emirati agent. Federal prosecutors allege that the Colony Capital founder was motivated by a desire to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in Emirati investment for his fund and other ventures.
Barack, who has pleaded not guilty, said he advised the Trump administration based on his long experience doing business in the Middle East, but that it had nothing to do with any investment.
Prosecutors said in the indictment that Barack worked to “establish himself as the main communication channel for the campaign and the UAE,” eventually boasting in an email that he was Trump’s “only channel.”
An FBI agent also read the emails and texts aloud from the stands in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, when jurors saw them. Many mentioned MBZ or his brother, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE National Security Adviser.
In another May 2016 email, Barack told another colleague in the UAE that MBZ had contacted Jared Kushner to arrange a meeting with Trump.
“You know Sheikh Mohammed contacted Donald’s son-in-law Jared to the Trump Organization to try to arrange a meeting,” Barack wrote, adding that he “intercepted” the message and suggested “a one to one”. a meeting”.
“You rock!”
In another email exchange, Emirati officials provided Barak with talking points that he and the campaign could use to promote the country and its ally Saudi Arabia. Barack raised them as campaign agents in a TV interview, and prosecutors also showed jurors part of a May 2016 speech in which Trump responded to some messages from the UAE.
“Congratulations, great job today!” Emirati officials wrote to Barack after Trump’s remarks. “HH and everyone here are happy with the results.”
Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Barack made sure to keep his old friend happy.
“Donald, you rock!” Barack wrote to Trump on Feb. 29, 2016, the day before Super Tuesday, when several states will hold primary elections. “Tomorrow will be another great victory for you!”
The case is United States v. Al Malik Alshahhi, 21-cr-00371, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).
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