Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to testify as a witness in a foreign agent trial for Tom Barrack.
Mnuchin, who served as treasury secretary under former President Donald Trump, will testify for the defense of Barrack, a Trump fundraiser who is on trial on charges of illegally acting as a foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan stated Thursday that the UAE was a “very important client” for Mnuchin, as he had started a private equity fund after leaving office in 2021, according to Reuters.
Because of Mnuchin’s connection to the UAE, there was “some indication of bias” from Mnuchin’s testimony due to the UAE likely not wanting a jury to convict Barrack, Cogan said. Despite this, Cogan will limit prosecutors’ ability to detail the “mind-boggling” amounts of money involved in Mnuchin’s dealings with the UAE.
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Barrack has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges he faces, and his lawyers have insisted that his interactions with Middle Eastern officials were a part of him running the private equity firm Colony Capital, according to the outlet.
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testified to the court on Oct. 3, making him the first Trump administration official to testify in this case. Tillerson drew from his expertise in international affairs, along with his work with Barrack during the early years of the Trump administration, in his testimony and stated that he was unaware of Barrack’s role in U.S. foreign policy with the Middle East.
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Barrack, along with his former assistant Matthew Grimes, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Barrack also faces a conspiracy charge that would carry an additional sentence of five years if he is convicted.
A third person, Emirati businessman Rashid Al Malik who served as the mediator, is still at large.
