In Tom Barrack Trial Tillerson Ordered Oct 3 As Early as Possible as Real Time Coverage Hindered
Barrack's lawyers had asked EDNY Judge Cogan to order him to appear Monday, not Tuesday - and now Judge Cogan has ordered it. Inner City Press still await pass it had for US v. Ng (1MDB, also UAE scam
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial book - NY Mag
EDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 2 – Thomas Barrack and Matthew Grimes, indicted for illegal lobbying for the United Arab Emirates, were arraigned on July 26, 2021 before U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara. Inner City Press live tweeted it here (and podcast here)
On Saturday Oct 1, Barrack's counsel filed this: "Today, the Government informed the defense that it had “finalized the decision to call Secretary Tillerson as a witness.” The Government also informed the defense that, due to personal plans, the Secretary is not available after October 4, 2022, and therefore the Government requested the defendants’ consent to call him out of order on the morning of Tuesday, October 4, 2022, interrupting the defendants’ anticipated crosses of the current witness. Even on this inexplicably short notice, the defense has no objection to taking Secretary Tillerson out of order. For two reasons, however, we respectfully request that the Government be ordered" - full filing on Patreon here.
On Sunday, October 2 EDNY Judge Cogan ordered: "SCHEDULING ORDER re [277]. The Government is ORDERED to produce its next witness as early as possible on 10/03/22. Ordered by Judge Brian M. Cogan on 10/2/2022. (Burger, Corby)." Photo (and song) here. Game on.
On September 21, 2022, Day 1 of the trial, Inner City Press went to EDNY in Brooklyn. After descriptions of Barrack's meetings with UAE handlers, in Morocco, Corsica and elsewhere, counsel for Matthew Grimes said his client was just an assistant, getting coffee and smoothies for his boss and taking photos of meeting. Sure, he vacations with Al Malik Alshahhi. But he was serving Colony Capital, his lawyer said.
Next up, as first witness, was an expert in Middle East affairs. A map was proffered as an exhibit, but it couldn't be seen in the overflow courtroom. And Inner City Press couldn't yet live tweet from there. Sept 21 Cadman Plaza vlog, here.
On September 22 the expert Chris Davidson was cross examined, about UAE foreign policy on Libya (pro Haftar), Yemen (bombing) and Egypt (overthrow Morsi). The defense tried to trip him up on the "ADQ," which he heard as "EDQ."
Then the US State Department's Matthew McGuire, about visas given to the UAE officials, and how even Iran gets visas to come to the UN.
At the end Judge Cogan told the jury, during the break, not to use Twitter or "My Space, do we still have it?" And still no action by EDNY D.E. on getting similar access as others. Sept 22 Cadman Plaza vlog here.
On September 28 when the trial resumed, Tom Barrack was again standing imperious at the defense table, as for example his lawyer cross examined a US linguist on whether it was to ALIGN a plan of 100 days / 4 months / 1 year / 4 years with Trump, or to "go with." The linguist said the latter didn't make sense, even in English much less Arabic.
Grimes' lawyer established that the witness knew nothing of Matthew Grimes. Earlier, the cross had been about metadata of iPhone photos from Rabat, not Marrakesh in Morocco. The trial day concluded with a lengthy stipulation about the roles of Mike Pompeo, General Mattis and others. Judge Cogan told the jurors not to Google. On the way down, Barrack was told there was a "press conference" outside, and to wait. It was about a church robbery in Brooklyn (which Inner City Press also covered). And STILL no approval from EDNY District Executive Eugene E. Corcoran. His Office said to put in another letter, the third, despite approval previously having been given to bring phone in for US v. Roger Ng in EDNY. What gives? Watch this site. And Sept 28 EDNY vlog
On September 29, FBI Special Agent Liz Sidaros was on the stand, describing exhibit after exhibit showing Barrack bragging about his UAE Royal family promotion work, on Charlie Rose on Bloomberg and elsewhere. There are demands that he call Sheikh Tahnoon, and fly by private jet to Morocco. Inner City Press aims to upload many of these exhibits - and to get its application for a press pass to bring in phone and laptop like others, for this and many more EDNY cases, here. Twitter Space here, vlog here.
On September 30, FBI Special Agent Liz Sidaros was still on the stand, for a trial day that ran only from 1:15 to 4:30 pm. There was TV interview in which Barrack pivoted from interest rates to ISIS to, what else, the UAE and its leadership. Malik and Grimes were texting constantly, trying to hook the principals up.
Afterward, Grimes greeted the gallery including this reporter, then Barrack himself as he left court. Next week will be chopped up by a half day and Columbus Day - and, still, for Inner City Press by not having its phone as applied for nine days ago, with two letters and two calls since to the Office of District Executive Eugene J. Corcoran. He was the papers. And we have the exhibits. Watch this site - and this Sept 30 vlog, and Twitter Space here.
To view e-mail exhibits tweets after the court day (when phone back) by Inner City Press, click here and here and here - Feinstein's husband.
Watch this site - and this Sept 30 vlog, and Twitter Space here.
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