Barak, 74, has been indicted by the FBI for failing to comply with his duty to register as a lobbyist in the UAE. He is also accused of lying to FBI agents about his work for the Gulf coalition.
Barack, with whom Trump has been friends for 40 years, played a key role in Trump’s election victory in 2016. He raised money for his campaign, then led Trump’s transition team and raised more than $100 million for the inauguration of the president in January 2017.
But according to the FBI, Barack also benefited from his friendship with Trump. For example, the United Arab Emirates promised to present the Trump administration with a wish list of things they would like to see in the first 100 days of his presidency. He has previously succeeded in smuggling some of the UAE’s desires into his election campaign speech.
His position also allowed him to provide his managers in the UAE with exclusive information about how the Trump team feels on certain issues.
And perhaps in return, the Gulf states have poured hundreds of millions into the Colony Capital investment fund that Barak runs. A former employee of his investment fund and a businessman from the UAE were also arrested in connection with the case.
Several Trump associates have also been accused in the past of similar crimes, including his former campaign manager Paul Manafort. He was convicted of hiding millions he earned from US tax authorities as a public relations advisor to ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
