Trump 2017 inaugural chairman Tom Barrack arrested

"He is not guilty and will be pleading not guilty."Mark Lesko, the acting assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice's national security division, said in a news release that Barrack, Grimes, and Alshahhi had "repeatedly capitalized on Barrack's friendships and access to a candidate who was eventually elected President, high-ranking campaign and government officials, and the American media to advance the policy goals of a foreign government without disclosing their true allegiances."He added: "The conduct alleged in the indictment is nothing short of a betrayal of those officials in the United States, including the former President."Through this indictment, we are putting everyone — regardless of their wealth or perceived political power — on notice that the Department of Justice will enforce the prohibition of this sort of undisclosed foreign influence."NBC's Andrew Blankstein and Pete Williams first reported on Barrack's arrest.Barrack served as an informal advisor to the Trump campaign from April to November 2016, and he was chairman of Trump's inaugural committee from November 2016 to January 2017. Grimes also worked for Colony Capital and reported to Barrack, while Alshahhi worked as an agent of the UAE and "was in frequent contact with Barrack and Grimes, including numerous in-person meetings" in the US and UAE, the DOJ said.The three defendants used Barrack's access to the Trump campaign and the US government "to advance the interests of an provide intelligence to the UAE" without notifying the DOJ of their status as agents of a foreign government, the news release said.