with several Middle East leaders, has been accused of promoting his own business interests in his dealings with the president.

A report recently released by Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee showed that Barrack worked with well-connected UAE businessman Rashid Al-Malik to make suggestions for an energy speech Trump gave in 2016 to be more favorable toward the Middle East and urged Manafort to get Trump to mention Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

He also allegedly pushed the administration to give Saudi Arabia access to sensitive nuclear technology while at the same time trying to profit from a potential deal, according to the House committee. (Trump read with interest the Wall Street Journal article on the report, accordingrelationship with Barrack is that he kept Gates, who pleaded guilty to two charges and became a star witness for Mueller, on his company Colony NorthStar’s payroll — at a rate of $20,000 per month, according to the Times — up until the moment when Gates was indicted for money laundering and violating foreign lobbying and tax laws.

Early in Trump’s presidency, Barrack brought Gates to the White House several times and also kept paying him even after Trump urged his friend to fire Gates because he was “bad luck” and “a bad penny” who wouldn’t go away, according to the senior administration official. Gates admitted during Manafort’s trial last summer that he might have stolen money from the inaugural committee, which he helped manage. Gates and his lawyer