Tom Barrack, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump and a former chairman of his inaugural committee, was found not guilty of illegal foreign lobbying charges on Friday.
The verdict was a major defeat for federal prosecutors in Brooklyn who had tried to accuse the businessman of improperly acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.
After a nearly two-month trial, a jury of five men and seven women reached the judgment after three days of deliberation.
Barrack was found not guilty on all counts, including conspiracy, obstruction, and lying to the FBI.
During the trial, two former Trump administration cabinet members, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, testified.
The Justice Department accused Barrack, 75, of unlawfully lobbying the Trump campaign and the early days of the government from 2016 to 2018, while also working as a foreign agent for the UAE and failing to register with the Justice Department as required by law.
Barrack took the stand to defend himself against all of the allegations leveled against him.
Barrack said that he informed then-candidate Trump about his conversations with UAE officials in order to assist Trump in better understanding Middle East concerns.
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