The jury selection for a trial of an ally of former President Donald Trump to determine whether the ally acted as a foreign agent when working with the United Arab Emirates from 2016-2018 began Monday.
Tom Barrack, who led Trump’s inauguration committee, has been charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the federal government. Federal prosecutors claimed Barrack, the former chairman of the private equity group DigitalBridge Group, used contacts in the UAE to further Middle Eastern interests.
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U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan began questioning dozens of potential jurors in the Eastern District of New York at about 9:30 a.m. to determine whether they would be biased against Barrack because of his ties to Trump. Jurors that have “some dislike” of the former president were not immediately disqualified, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors alleged Barrack provided Emirati government officials with information about how senior officials saw a tense diplomatic conflict the UAE had with regional rival Qatar. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain launched a blockade against Qatar in 2017.
The UAE also asked Barrack for information on Trump’s top picks to lead the State Department, the CIA, and the Defense Department, according to the 46-page indictment. He has also been accused of arranging a phone call between Trump and a top UAE official in 2017.
Federal law states that a U.S. citizen must notify the attorney general if they “agree to operate within the United States subject to the direction or control of a foreign government,” according to section 951 of the 1917 Espionage Act. Although the law was initially used when it comes to traditional espionage, courts have expanded the portion to cover influence or lobbying endeavors.
Barrack claimed he did not intentionally act as a foreign agent when working with the country and that his interactions with the country were part of his work for DigitalBridge.
“What it comes down to is the person’s knowledge and intent,” Barbara McQuade, a former prosecutor who handled foreign agent cases from 2010 to 2017, told Reuters. “That’s the tricky part.”
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Barrack could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Barrack’s former assistant Matthew Grimes faces the same charge. A third person, Emirati businessman Rashid Al Malik who served as the mediator, is still at large. Barrack also faces a conspiracy charge that would carry an additional sentence of five years if convicted.
