Yesterday, Tuesday, the Federal Court of the Eastern District in New York City charged two Americans and an Emirati with employment, conspiracy, and engaging in illegal activities to advance the interests of the UAE inside the United States, under the guidance of senior Emirati officials.

The

indictment

issued by the court stated that the defendants are Thomas Joseph Barak (74 years), an American, Matthew Grimes (27 years), an American, and Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Al Shehhi (43 years), an Emirati.

A statement by the US Department of Justice indicated today that Barak and Grimes have been arrested to appear in court this afternoon, Wednesday, and Al-Shehhi is still at large.

The indictment contains 7 counts against all three defendants related to illegal activities to advance the interests of the United Arab Emirates in the United States at the direction of senior Emirati officials by influencing the positions of US foreign policy during the campaign of the “candidate in the 2016 US presidential election,” as well as the positions of The foreign policy of the US government in his administration, as well as seeking to influence American public opinion in favor of the UAE.

Employment charges and obstruction of justice

The court charged the three people with acting and conspiring to act as agents of the UAE between April 2016 and April 2018. The indictment also charged Barak with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 20, 2019 interview with federal law enforcement agents.

The indictment alleges that the defendants repeatedly took advantage of Barak's friendships and access to a candidate eventually elected as president, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the US media to advance the political goals of a foreign government without revealing their true allegiances.

According to court documents, between April and November 2016, Barrack served as an informal adviser to the candidate's campaign in the 2016 US presidential election. Between November 2016 and January 2017, Barrack served as chair of the presidential inauguration committee.

Beginning in January 2017, Barak provided informal advice to senior US government officials on issues related to US foreign policy in the Middle East.

He also sought to appoint him to a senior position in the US government, including that of special envoy to the Middle East.

Frequent contacts with the senior leadership in the Emirates

Barrack served as CEO of a global investment management firm based in Los Angeles, and Grimes was an employee of the company and reported directly to Barrack.

During the relevant time period, Al-Shehhi served as an agent for the UAE, and was in frequent contact with Barack and Grimes, including many in-person meetings in the US and the UAE.

The indictment also states that the defendants used Barak's position as a senior external advisor to the election campaign and, subsequently, to senior US government officials, to advance the interests of the United Arab Emirates and provide intelligence to it, while simultaneously failing to notify the attorney general that they were acting at the direction of senior officials. Emiratis.


The court documents indicated that the number of Emirati officials - with whom the defendants were in constant contact - 4 senior officials. The documents did not mention their names, and only referred to them as follows;

UAE official No. 1, UAE official No. 2, UAE official No. 3, and UAE official No. 4.

secret weapon

The documents stated that Barak - directly and through Al-Shehhi and Grimes - was in regular and frequent contact with the highest leadership of the UAE government.

On numerous occasions, Barak referred to Al Shehhi as the UAE's "secret weapon" to advance its foreign policy agenda in the United States.

The documents included many examples indicating that Barak, Al Shehhi, and Grimes took many steps in America to advance the interests of the UAE. For example, in May 2016, Barrack inserted language praising the UAE in the presidential candidate's campaign speech on US energy policy, and in May 2016 he emailed a pre-made draft of the speech to Al Shehhi for delivery to senior Emirati officials who praised what he did.

Similarly, during 2016 and 2017, the defendants sought and received directions and comments, including talking points, from senior Emirati officials regarding domestic media activity that Barak used to advance UAE interests.

After appearing in one of the media interviews in which Barak repeatedly praised the UAE, the latter sent an e-mail to Al-Shehhi saying, "You succeeded...".

Barak and Grimes also sought guidance from senior Emirati officials before publishing an op-ed by Barak that was published in an American magazine in October 2016. Certain language was removed at the direction of senior Emirati officials, as quoted by al-Shehhi.

After the 2016 US presidential election, the defendants repeatedly acted at the direction of Emirati officials to influence the incoming administration's foreign policy positions in the UAE's favour.

Emirati Wish List

For example, in December 2016, Barrack attended a meeting with Grimes, al-Shehhi, and senior government officials in the UAE.

During that meeting, Barak advised the Emiratis to create a "wish list" of US foreign policy items that the UAE would like to achieve during the first 100 days, the first six months and the first year, as well as the four years for the next administration of the US president-elect.

In March 2017, Barak and his co-defendants agreed to promote the nomination of someone favored by senior Emirati officials for the position of US ambassador to the UAE.

In May 2017, Barak agreed to provide Al-Shehhi with non-public information about the views and reactions of senior US government officials after a meeting at the White House between senior US and Emirati officials.

In September 2017, Al-Shehhi contacted Barak about the UAE’s opposition to a proposed summit at Camp David to address “the ongoing dispute between the State of Qatar on the one hand, and the UAE and other governments in the Middle East on the other,” after which Barak sought to advise the US President against holding that summit. .

That summit never took place.


private phone

To further the "alleged criminal plot and alleged criminal conduct", Barak and Grimes, with Al-Shehhi's assistance, used a dedicated cell phone and installed a secure messaging application to facilitate Barak's communications with senior officials in the UAE.

The accused exchanged text messages and emails to promote the foreign policy interests of the UAE by influencing the foreign policy of the United States with respect to the State of Qatar.

Al-Shehhi wrote a note on his cell phone containing a draft message to UAE officials, saying that he had met Barak the day before and that Barak had advised him that several senior US government officials were trying to convince the president that "Qatar is a victim."

The indictment also says that al-Shehhi, Barak and Grimes failed to provide the required notification to the United States Attorney General that they were acting in the United States as agents of a foreign government under the FARA Act, which regulates lobbying in the United States.

False

denial

On June 20, 2019, Barak voluntarily met with FBI special agents.

During the interview, Barak allegedly made several false statements, including a false denial that al-Shehhi had never asked him to take action on behalf of the UAE.

A statement from the US Department of Justice today said that Barack and Grimes were arrested on Tuesday morning and are scheduled to be brought to trial this Wednesday afternoon in the Central District of California.

The statement added that Assistant US Attorneys - Nathan Riley, Ryan Harris, Samuel Neetz and Hiral Mehta of the Eastern District of New York, and Attorney General Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Controls Division - will handle the case.

Prosecutor Mark Lesko of the Justice Department's National Security Division called the alleged conduct in the indictment nothing less than treasonous by those officials, including the former president, saying that the Department of Justice, through this indictment, would impose a ban on everyone regardless of wealth or power. perceived policy, and would ban this kind of undeclared foreign influence.

They will face the consequences

Jacqueline M. Casoulis, acting US attorney general for the Eastern District of New York, said the defendants had detracted from the American people's right to know when a foreign government sought to influence the policies of "our government and our public opinion," noting that these arrests serve as a warning to those who act at the direction of Foreign governments without disclosing their actions, as well as those who seek to mislead investigators about their actions, will be brought to justice and face the consequences.

"Today's indictment confirms the FBI's unwavering commitment to rooting out those individuals who believe they can manipulate the system at the expense of the United States and the American people," Assistant Director Calvin Chivers of the FBI's Criminal Investigation Division said on Tuesday, adding that it was alleged that Barak abused his access to government officials to illegally advance the interests of foreign governments. He explained that the FBI will coordinate with America's external partners to ensure that charges are brought against anyone who seeks to exercise unlawful influence over their crimes.