INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
AWARDED THE CITY OF BRISBANE THE
SUMMER GAMES IN 2032, MIKA.
TOM BARRACK WHO CHAIRED DONALD
TRUMP’S INAUGURAL XI WAS
ARRESTED YESTERDAY FOR ACTING AS
AN AGENT OF THE UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES WITHOUT REGISTERING AS
A FOREIGN AGENT.
HE’S ACCUSED OF INFLUENCING THE
FOREIGN POLICY POSITIONS OF THE
CAMPAIGN AND ADMINISTRATION
BETWEEN APRIL OF 2016 AND APRIL
OF 2018.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
THE 7-COUNT GRAND JURY
INDICTMENT SAYS BARRACK USED HIS
FRIENDSHIP WITH DONALD TRUMP TO
GET LANGUAGE INSERTED INTO THE
THEN CANDIDATE’S ENERGY SPEECH
IN 2016 ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
WORKING WITH QUOTE OUR GOLF
ALLIES ON BEHALF OF THE
EMIRATES.
IT ALSO SAYS BARRACK PROVIDED
UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WITH
SENSITIVE, NONPUBLIC INFORMATION
ABOUT THE POSITIONS OF MULTIPLE SENIOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
SENIOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS WITH RESPECT TO THE
QATAR
QATAR BLOCKADE.
ALSO FACES COUNTS OF
OBSTRUCTION, AND LYING TO LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR BARRACK SAID
HE IS QUOTE MADE HIMSELF
VOLUNTARILY AVAILABLE TO
INVESTIGATORS FROM THE OUTSET.
HE IS NOT GUILTY, AND HE WILL BE
PLEADING NOT GUILTY.
TWO OTHER DEFENDANTS WERE
CHARGED WITH UNREGISTERED
FOREIGN AGENCY ALONG WITH
BARRACK.
JOINING US NOW NBC NEWS
CORRESPONDENT FOREIGN
INVESTIGATIONS, TOM WINTER.
FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY AND MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR, BARBARA McQUAID,
AND WHITE HOUSE REPORTER FOR THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS, JONATHAN
LEMIRE.
I WANT TO START WITH YOU IF YOU
WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT I
HAVE REPORTED HERE.
WHO ELSE IN THE CAMPAIGN MIGHT
THIS TOUCH GIVEN THE TYPES OF
DEALINGS TOM BARRACK WAS HAVING?
>> THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION, AND
CONTAINED IN THE INDICTMENT,
THERE’S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION
ABOUT OTHER INDIVIDUALS
INVOLVED.
IN SOME RESPECTS YOU CAN LOOK AT
THIS INDICTMENT AND SAY, IN
FACT, THE PRESIDENT AND THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WERE THE VICTIMS OF
THIS IF THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF
IT.
AND THERE’S NO INDICATION AT
LEAST CONTAINED IN THE DOCUMENTS
THAT THEY WERE, BUT I THINK THE
INDICTMENT RAISES SOME KEY
QUESTIONS.
YOU’VE LAID OUT THE OVERT ACTS
OR THE THINGS THAT TOM BARRACK
DID IN PLAIN ENGLISH BUT I HAVE
SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, LOOKING AT
THE TIME LINE, THE CONDUCT IS
FROM APRIL 2016 TO APRIL 2018
AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE FBI
INTERVIEW IS IN JUNE OF 2019.
THAT’S OVER TWO YEARS AGO, SO
WHY DID IT TAKE THEM UNTIL
YESTERDAY FOR US TO HEAR ABOUT
THIS, AND WHY DID IT TAKE UNTIL
YESTERDAY FOR CHARGES TO BE
BROUGHT?
I THINK THERE’S SOME QUESTIONS
THAT DESERVE TO BE ASKED THERE,
AND WE ARE ASKING THEM BECAUSE
THIS SEEMS LIKE A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS WHY
DIDN’T THEY JUST FILE THE
FOREIGN AGENT’S REGISTRATION
PAPERWORK.
WHY NOT LET US KNOW.
WHAT TOM BARRACK DID IS NOT
NECESSARILY ILLEGAL.
IT IS NOT ILLEGAL FOR HIM TO
WORK ON BEHALF OF A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT, TO TRY TO LOBBY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
WHETHER HE’S ONE OF HIS BEST
FRIENDS FOR 30 YEARS OR NOT, IT
IS ILLEGAL IF HE DOESN’T
DISCLOSE IT.
THAT’S ALL THAT REALLY NEEDED TO
OCCUR HERE.
I THINK THAT GETS US TO THE
THIRD QUESTION THAT I HAVE WHICH
IS WHAT DID TOM BARRACK RECEIVE
IN ANY SORT OF COMPENSATION, ANY
SORT OF PREFERENTIAL BUSINESS
ASSISTANCE THAT HE RECEIVED FROM
THE EM RATIRATES.
I THINK IT RAISES SERIOUS
QUESTIONS.
YOU DON’T NEED TO PROVE HE
RECEIVED COMPENSATION THAT’S NOT
INCLUDED IN THAT.
IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDED
TO BE CONTAINED IN THE
INDICTMENT.
WE HAVE SCANT DETAILS ABOUT THAT
AND ALL THREE OF THOSE QUESTIONS
DESERVE TO BE ASKED HERE.
IT’S CONFUSING, THAT IT’S TWO
YEARS AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY LIED TO
THE FBI ALL OVER THE PLACE,
INCLUDING ABOUT A SEPARATE PHONE
THAT HE HAD TO CONDUCT THESE
COMMUNICATIONS, AND ENCRYPTED
MESSAGING APPS, WHICH IS WHY
WE’RE HEARING ABOUT IT
YESTERDAY.
>> LETS REMIND PEOPLE HOW CLOSE
TOM BARRACK IS TO DONALD TRUMP.
TOM BARRACK SPOKE ON THE LAST
NIGHT OF THE 2016 REPUBLICAN
CONVENTION.
TOM BARRACK, IVANKA TRUMP, AND
DONALD TRUMP ACCEPTING THE
NOMINATION.
THAT’S WHERE HE STANDS IN DONALD
TRUMP’S LIFE.
ADDS
AS A FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR
READING THROUGH THE INDICTMENT,
WHAT DO YOU SEE EXACTLY TO CUT
TO SOME OF TOM’S QUESTIONS, WHAT
EXACTLY IN PLAIN LANGUAGE IS TOM
BARRACK ACCUSED OF DOING HERE?
>> I THINK ONE OF THE POINTS
THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT HERE,
WILLIE, IS THIS IS NOT A
PAPERWORK VIOLATION.
I KNOW TOM SAID THAT HE COULD
HAVE FILED NOTIFICATION WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND BEEN
PERMITTED TO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF
THE UAE, THAT’S ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
THERE’S A REASON PEOPLE DON’T
REGISTER IN A SITUATION LIKE
THAT.
IF HE REGISTERED AND EVERYONE
KNEW HE WAS ACTING ON BEHALF OF
THE UAE, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE
RECEIVED THE ACCESS HE GOT.
SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS ARE THAT
HE HAD DRAFTED OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S SPEECH ON ENERGY AND
SHARED IT WITH THE UAE
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, GOT THEIR
EDITS, AND THEN GAVE IT BACK TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THAT HE TOOK CREDIT FOR GETTING
THE UAE OMITTED FROM TRUMP’S
TRAVEL BAN IN 2017.
HE WROTE AN OP-ED IN FAVORABLE
TERMS FOR THE UAE BECAUSE HE GOT
INPUT FROM THE UAE, REPRESENTING
THESE THINGS AS HIS OWN JUDGMENT
AND OPINION, WHEN IN FACT, HE
WAS DOING IT ON BEHALF OF A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT, AND THE
REASON THAT THAT IS A CRIME
ISN’T BECAUSE HE MADE A
PAPERWORK ERROR.
IT’S BECAUSE IT PERMITS SECRET
UNDUE INFLUENCE BY A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT.
AND IN FACT, TO WILLIE’S
QUESTION, HE’S RIGHT, TO TOM’S
QUESTION, IT DOES NOT ALLEGE A
MOTIVE BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT
REQUIRED TO ALLEGE A MOTIVE.
THEY DON’T WANT TO MAKE IT
HARDER TO PROVE THEIR CASE THAN
THEY NEED TO.
THERE’S REPORTING IN THE "NEW
YORK TIMES" THAT HIS FIRM WAS
PAID $1.5 BILLION BY THE UAE AND
SAUDI ARABIA, SO THERE’S
CERTAINLY A VERY POWERFUL
FINANCIAL MOMENT THAT MAY BE AT
STAKE HERE.
THE OTHER THING I SEE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION.
WE KNOW THAT THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK IS ALSO
INVESTIGATING FRAUD IN THE TRUMP
INAUGURAL CAMPAIGN, WHICH TOM
BARRACK SHARED.
AND SO HE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY
HERE TO COME IN AND SHARE
INFORMATION WITH PROSECUTORS
ABOUT THAT INVESTIGATION IF HE
WANTS TO WORK OFF SOME OF HIS
TIME.
>> BARRACK AND TRUMP REPORTING
HAS GREW A LITTLE MORE DISTANCE,
TOM, DURING THEIR TIME WHILE THE
PRESIDENT WAS IN OFFICE, BUT
LET’S REMEMBER IN 2016, 2017, HE
WAS RUMORED TO BE CHIEF OF
STAFF.
THAT SHOWS YOU HOW TIGHT THEY
WASN’T WERE.
BARBARA HINTED AT WHERE I WANT
TO GO WITH YOU, THE $64,000
QUESTION, AS IT ALWAYS IS,
ANYTIME WE SEE AND LEARN ABOUT
INVESTIGATION INTO A TRUMP
ASSOCIATE AND THERE HAVE BEEN
QUITE A FEW, WHAT SORT OF RISK
DOES THIS POSE TO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT HIMSELF?
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS POTENTIAL FOR
COOPERATION, WILL BARRACK FLIP,
AND DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS?
>> I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING THAT
NEED TO BE LOOKED HERE.
PROSECUTORS IN THEIR FEDERAL
DETENTION MEMO YESTERDAY SAID
SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO THAT
POINT, THE CONDUCT IN THIS CASE
QUOTE STRIKES AT THE VERY HEART
OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
SAY, WELL, YOU JUST FILE YOUR
PAPERWORK, YOU’RE ALL SET AND
THIS IS A PRISON SENTENCE FOR
FIVE YEARS.
NOBODY EVEN GETS CHARGED WITH
THIS.
ROBERT MUELLER WAS SPECIAL
COUNSEL, THIS ISN’T SOMETHING WE
WOULD HEAR CRIMINAL CHARGES
ABOUT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS TYPE OF
BEHAVIOR I THINK IT’S SOMETHING
THAT MIKA MENTIONED IN THE INTRO
THAT HE WAS GIVING NONPUBLIC
SENSITIVE INFORMATION BACK TO
UAE ABOUT HOW SOME OF THE PEOPLE
IN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE FELT
ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE
MIDDLE EAST.
THAT’S REALLY SERIOUS.
THE FLIP SIDE WHEN YOU TALK TO
PEOPLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, THIS
IS SOMEBODY WHO LOBBIED DIRECTLY
ON BEHALF OF THE UAE TO THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT,
BASED OFF OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP.
THIS IS STUFF THAT PEOPLE SHOULD
BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND BE
WORRIED ABOUT.
WILL CONGRESS ADDRESS THAT?
ARE THERE MORE TOOLS THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT SHOULD HAVE FROM A
STANDPOINT OF STATUTES AND
REGULATIONS, THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT WILL BE TO BE DETERMINED, I
THINK.
AS FAR AS THE QUESTION ABOUT TOM
BARRACK COOPERATING IN ANY SORT
OF WAY, THERE’S NOTHING AT LEAST
INITIALLY ABOUT THE INAUGURAL
THAT NECESSARILY DRAWS THE
PRESIDENT’S CONDUCT INTO
QUESTION FROM A LEGAL
STANDPOINT.
THERE WAS CERTAINLY, AND WE
HEARD ABOUT IT FROM THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL’S INVESTIGATION.
THERE WAS CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF
TRANSACTIONS THAT OCCURRED AND
TICKETS THAT WERE PURCHASED THAT
RAISED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT
FOREIGN NATIONALS AND THEIR
DONATIONS TO THE INAUGURAL, THAT
DOESN’T MEAN THEY WERE SOLICITED
BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT OR
ANYBODY THIS HIS INNER CIRCLE.
I THINK THAT’S A BIG QUESTION