He chose a long-term friend of his Donald Trump for the position of ambassador of USA in Turkey. This is businessman Tom Barak, executive of an investment company, founder of Colony Capital and former adviser to Donald Trump who was previously accused of improper lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted.
Tom Barrack is an “experienced voice of reason” and “respected,” Donald Trump said via Truth Social when announcing his intention to nominate him as US ambassador to Turkey.
“For three decades, Tom successfully managed a global private equity firm,” Trump wrote of Barack on Truth Social. “He is a respected and experienced voice of reason to a wide range of thought leaders in both political and business circles.”
The choice of Tom Barak and Kimberly Guilfoyle for the posts of ambassadors to Turkey and Greece in general are subject to the approval of the Senate, which, however, when Trump is sworn in and takes office, will now be controlled by the Republicans.
The newly elected president of the USA, Donald Trump, yesterday, Tuesday, named Thomas Barak, his personal friend, “informal adviser” of his campaign in 2016, an executive of an investment and wealth management company, the next ambassador of the USA to Turkey.
Barack had been named head of the organizing committee for the inauguration ceremony of the 45th president of the USA. Since January 2017, he has been an adviser to government officials on US policy in the Middle East.
He was prosecuted in 2021 for undeclared lobbying or, otherwise, representation of special interests, for the benefit of the United Arab Emirates. Released in 2022.
Barack is another choice made by Donald Trump from his inner circle. It has already been announced that the next US ambassador to France will be Charles Kushner, father of the president-elect’s son-in-law, who was previously jailed for fraud but was pardoned by his father-in-law.
Studies and deals with Saudis
Arabic-speaking, born to Lebanese parents, Tom Barak was born in 1947 and raised in southern California. Barack earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California and then did graduate studies at the University of San Diego School of Law.
Barak began his career at the law office of Herbert Kalbach, President Richard Nixon’s personal attorney.
In 1972, the office sent him to Saudi Arabia, where he networked very quickly. He worked for the Fluor Corporation in the kingdom, while working with Saudi princes.
In 1991, he founded Colony Capital, initially investing in distressed real estate and reaping substantial profits.
The long friendship with Trump
Barack’s relationship with Trump dates back to the 1980s. He has raised money and supported Trump throughout his political career. Tom Barak, who served as deputy under secretary at the Department of the Interior during the Reagan administration, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign and chairman of the 2017 inauguration committee.
But Barack may face a tough road to approval. He has faced legal issues related to his business dealings in the Middle East and his ties to Trump.
Tom Barak had relationships with Saudi government officials and businesses in the 1970s. He also helped open diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Haiti and has ties to other Gulf countries.
The Ministry of Justice indicted him 2021 for illegal lobbying in favor of the United Arab Emirates government;while also pursuing business deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Barack acquitted in November 2022.
In his apology he said he wanted better US relations with the Gulf states and that he interacted with Emirati officials and their middlemen in his role as head of Colony Capital.
Trump praised Barrack’s acquittal at the time, saying in a statement: “Great news for our country, freedom and democracy as businessman Tom Barrack, who should never have been charged or tried, has just been acquitted by all categories”.
Barak’s testimony during the trial was at times critical of Trump. He told the court that his support for Trump politically was “disastrous” for him professionally, at one point mocking Trump’s understanding of the Middle East.
“This amazingly good businessman became president of the United States who couldn’t spell Middle East,” Barack said.
During the Trump administration, Barack was heavily scrutinized for his connections to undemocratic regimes in the Middle East and foreign donations to the 2017 inauguration committee.
Barack was also a friend of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein who committed suicide in prison after being convicted of sex offences.
Information ABCNews, Politico