An arrest made Tuesday in Los Angeles is certain to send shockwaves across the inner circle of failed, one-term former President Donald Trump, and also suggests federal prosecutors are starting to take down everyone with any connections to the Trump administration.
According to NBC News, Tom Barrack was taken into custody by federal agents and has been indicted for allegedly working on behalf of a foreign government to influence U.S. foreign policy:
“In a seven-count indictment, unsealed in a New York federal court, Barrack, 74, and two others are accused of ‘acting and conspiring to act as agents’ of the UAE between April 2016 and April 2018. Barrack was also charged with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
“The trio acted ‘to advance the interests of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the United States at the direction of senior UAE officials by influencing the foreign policy positions of the campaign of a candidate in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and, subsequently, the foreign policy positions of the U.S. government in the incoming administration, as well as seeking to influence public opinion in favor of UAE interests,’ the Justice Department said.”
Barrack is a longtime friend of the former president. It’s believed he sold access to the Trump White House on behalf of the UAE, a clear violation of federal law that could land Barrack in prison for decades.
Saudi Arabia is also part of the larger conspiracy to gain favorable treatment from the Trump administration, according to NBC:
“(Prosecutors) charge that not only did Barrack work at the direction of UAE leadership, but that he also ‘met with and assisted senior leaders of the KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia], a close ally of the UAE.'”
Trump, you may recall, refused to penalize the Saudis for being behind the murder and dismemberment of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was employed by The Washington Post when he was called to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, and cut into pieces with a bone saw (while he was still alive) on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump is also believed to have business connections to the Saudi royal family, some of whom have purchased luxury apartments from the former president.
Barrack’s arrest is especially troubling for Donald Trump Jr. and his sister, Ivanka Trump, both of whom were intimately involved in their father’s 2017 inaugural and are believed to have directed inaugural funds into hotels owned and controlled by the Trump Organization. Barrack might agree to testify against the Trump children in exchange for leniency.
Everywhere he looks, Donald Trump sees those connected to him being indicted. There’s probably an indictment with the former president’s name on it, too. The only question is when it will be unsealed.
