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A jury on Wednesday began deliberating on the federal trial of billionaire Tom Barack, a Donald Trump stalwart accused of using his influence over Trump to covertly advance the interests of the United Arab Emirates, The Associated Press reported. .
Barack, 75, is a longtime Trump friend and a California billionaire who served as chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee at the White House. He comes from a long list of Trump associates and faces various criminal charges.
The indictment, filed Tuesday in federal court in New York, alleges that Barack has worked for years to covertly advance UAE interests through his influence in the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and his administration, CNBC reported.
The seven-count indictment also accuses Barack of obstructing justice and making multiple false statements during an interview with federal authorities in 2019, according to the same source.
The indictment alleges that Barack provided informal advice to U.S. officials on Middle East policy and sought appointments to senior U.S. government positions, including as special envoy for the Middle East.
Barack pleaded not guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, obstructing justice and making false statements. He vehemently denied the charges against him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Ryan Harris told jurors Tuesday that Barak planned to be the “eyes, ears and voice” of the UAE as part of a criminal conspiracy to manipulate Trump’s foreign policy.
For his part, defense attorney Randall Jackson said Barack was an honest businessman who never hid any sinister activity.
If found guilty, Barack could face up to 10 years in prison.
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