“Thomas Barrack, who served as chairman of the 2017 inaugural fund for then-President Donald Trump, has been arrested on federal charges, several law enforcement officials told NBC News on Tuesday.” cnbc.com/2021/07/20/tho…
Is that all the Trump finance chairmen, then?
Here’s Barrack, in the blue scarf, with Trump at the 2017 inauguration. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
DOJ press release is out. It’s a FARA case. “The indictment also charges Barrack with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 20, 2019, interview with federal law enforcement agents.” justice.gov/opa/pr/former-…
The 46-page indictment charges Barrack and his co-defendants with acting as unregistered agents of the United Arab Emirates. justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
DOJ: “Barrack and Grimes were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in the Central District of California. Alshahhi remains at large.”
Some of this seems pretty clear cut.
[two senior United States officials] … are they maybe married to one another?
My bad — it’s a case of alleged agents of a foreign government who failed to provide prior notice to the Attorney General under rules and regulations prescribed by the Attorney General.
Again, you’ve probably heard Ron Johnson or Ted Cruz say that there weren’t guns among January 6th rioters, but that claim is clearly false. Most people there were not stopped and searched, and when someone is put under the spotlight it often becomes evident he was carrying.
This hearing has historic, and I dare say unprecedented, levels of just plain bickering with a federal district judge, both by the krakenistas and the lawyer they’ve hired. It’s like a window into another dimension.
One of the most obstreperous krakenistas at this hearing is Julia Haller, whose LinkedIn states she held senior advisory positions at the White House, the Ex-Im Bank, the Dept of Housing and Urban Development, and the Dept of Homeland Security during the Trump Admin.
It also says she held a TS/SCI security clearance.
Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino write about the scheme to take control of Britney Spears newyorker.com/news/american-…
jfc
One thing that strikes me about this story is over the years Britney is running what I would call fairly sophisticated covert ops—smuggling unmonitored cell phones, planning secret seaside meetings—all to hire a fucking probate lawyer who will actually represent her interests.