Tom Barrack departs from criminal court in New York. Photo: David 'Dee' Delgado/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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).