Why The Arrest Of This Trump Ally Might Have Jared Kushner Nervous
Over the past five years, 11 individuals who were a part of Donald Trump's presidential campaigns or administration have been charged with crimes, according to CNN. Some of the most notable names who have faced charges are Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, and Michael Cohen. And that number is expected to grow, as many of Trump's allies — and family members — are still under investigation.
One name you might not be as familiar with is Tom Barrack, a former Trump advisor who was arrested in July 2021 and charged with illegal foreign lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the seven-count indictment (via CNN), Barrack allegedly used his relationship with Trump to "advance the interests of and provide intelligence to the UAE while simultaneously failing to notify the Attorney General that their actions were taken at the direction of senior UAE officials." In addition, Barrack was charged with obstruction of justice and providing federal agents with false statements (via CNN).
Barrack was released from prison after posting a $250 million bond that included $5 million in cash, per CNN. He must also wear a GPS location monitoring bracelet, cannot transfer any funds overseas, and has restrictions on his travel, the outlet noted. Here's what you should know about Barrack's relationship with former president Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Jared Kushner had a close relationship with Tom Barrack
The arrest of Tom Barrack, a former advisor to Donald Trump, could be bad news for Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump and was one of her father's key advisors. Vicky Ward, author of "Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump," explained to SheKnows that Barrack was "Jared Kushner's conduit to the Middle East." She added that "Trump was frankly not that interested in the relations of the Middle East, that was driven by Jared."
In addition, Barrack reportedly "helped the Kushners with their real estate business for years, and he's the one who introduced, Jared to MBS [Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia] and the Qataris," Ward told SheKnows. In fact, it was the Qatar Investment Authority that provided a "'bailout' of the Kushners' 666 Fifth Avenue property," according to Public Citizen.
Ward also finds it interesting that Kushner announced the launch of his new investment firm a week after Barrack's arrest. "I think it's classic Jared to announce his investment firm to take back control of the narrative in terms of PR," she said to SheKnows. "It's an absolute PR move to make us all forget that he and Tom were as tight as tight can be, but the government is not forgetting."