Trump friend found not guilty of violating foreign agents law

Tom Barrack, a longtime ally of former President Trump, has been found not guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, AP reports.

Why it matters: Barrack, a California billionaire, helped chair Trump's 2017 inaugural committee.

Details: Barrack was accused of using his access to Trump to advocate for the United Arab Emirates without registering as a foreign agent, Axios' Dan Primack writes.

• He was also accused of obstruction of justice and making false statements in a 2019 interview with the FBI.
• After three days of deliberations, a jury found Barrack not guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal officials, AP reports.
• Barrack has denied any wrongdoing, saying he made positive remarks about UAE because he wanted to, not because he was asked to, NBC News reports.

What they're saying: Trump said in a statement Barrack's acquittal was "great news."

• "My great respect goes out to the jurors for their courage and understanding in coming to an absolutely correct decision," he added.

Worth noting: Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin both testified in the trial, which lasted for six weeks, according to NBC.

Go deeper: Trump confidante Tom Barrack's fall from grace

Editor's note: The headline and story have been corrected to show that Tom Barrack was acquitted of all charges, which included the charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government (not illegal foreign lobbying).