By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to take the stand as a witness for the defense of Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump who is on trial on charges of illegally acting as a foreign agent, the judge overseeing the case said on Thursday.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Barrack, 75, used his influence with the Trump campaign and administration to push the United Arab Emirates’ interests without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by law.
Barrack has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have said his interactions with Middle Eastern officials were part of his role running private equity firm Colony Capital (NYSE:), now known as DigitalBridge Group Inc.
Before the jury entered the courtroom on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan said the UAE was a “very important client” for Mnuchin, who started a private equity fund after leaving office in 2021.
Cogan said there was therefore “some indication of bias” from Mnuchin’s testimony given that the UAE would likely not want a jury to convict Barrack. He said he would nonetheless limit prosecutors’ ability to detail the “mind-boggling” amounts of money involved in Mnuchin’s dealings with the UAE.
The trial began on Sept. 19, and prosecutors rested their case earlier this week.
Mnuchin is not the first former Trump administration official to take the stand in the case. Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testified as a prosecution witness on Oct. 3, stating he was unaware of the role Barrack played in U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
