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The Reckoning
It’s classic Dubai — hype and bullshit — a circle of thieves enabled by lax regulation, rule by fiat, and “flexible” laws favoring locals.
The recent indictment of Thomas Barrack for failing to register as a foreign agent for the UAE highlights the reckless, and acutely self-interested nature of the men who guided the Trump administration. Trump may no longer be president, but his long time associates continue to make headlines and clog the courts. Barrack is now the eleventh man to be charged with breaking the law.
Thomas Barrack cemented his relationship with Donald Trump during a private meeting to sell the Plaza Hotel to Trump in March, 1988. Trump had coveted the 19 story French Renaissance “chateau” for years, and Barrack’s willingness to grant Trump a private audience to close a deal on the Plaza forever endeared the Lebanese-American businessman to Trump. Few men would have purposefully placed themselves in the unenviable position of fending off Trump’s eager advances, but Barrack seemed to welcome the opportunity. His business acumen, initially forged in the law office’s of Bernard W. Kalmbach, President Nixon’s personal attorney, and seasoned by years of work in Saudi Arabia made him a formidable, and well connected, negotiator.
Since then, the unlikely duo have remained on friendly terms for decades. So close, that Barrack served as a senior advisor to…
