The United Arab Emirates tried in 2017 to get a former Republican congressman appointed as U.S. ambassador, but the plan was scuttled after he was arrested on fraud charges, prosecutors said in a separate case against a onetime fundraiser for Donald Trump.
While the former congressman wasn’t identified by name in a court filing Friday, the U.S. government said he was arrested in March 16, 2017. That matches the arrest date for Stephen E. Stockman, a former U.S. representative from Texas.
Stockman was sentenced in 2018 to serve 10 years in prison after being convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for charity and using the money to pay for personal expenses and his political campaigns. Trump, before leaving office, commuted his sentence in December 2020.
Jonathan Burns and Amr Ahmed, attorneys who represented Stockman in his criminal case, didn’t immediately return email and voicemail messages seeking comment.
According to prosecutors, Emirati officials directed Colony Capital Inc. founder Tom Barrack and his assistant “to meet with, and advocate for the appointment of former congressman to the position of U.S. Ambassador to the UAE” between February and March 15, 2017.
The U.S. wants to use that information in Barrack’s upcoming trial on charges he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for the UAE and other charges.
Michael Schachter, Barrack’s lawyer, declined comment. Abbe Lowell, Grimes’ lawyer, didn’t immediately return voicemail and email messages seeking comment.
Barrack, a former top fundraiser for Trump, was charged last year along with his former assistant. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go on trial next month.
The case is: US v Ashahhi, 21-cr-371, US District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).
