Screen capture of video taken from Thomas Barrack's Brooklyn court (Twitter @Cassandra Gauthier).Thomas Barrack was accosted as he pleaded not guilty to the federal charges of illegally lobbying Donald Trump for the United Arab Emirates.As he arrived at the New York court, the private equity investor who was ex-president's inaugural committee chair was called traitor.Its our democracy. It is our democracy, not yours. A man can be heard shouting in an online video. Its our democracy a**hole.According to CNBC, Mr Barrack was also welcomed by a DIRTY TRITOR sign-wielding man at his arraignment for seven counts of conspiring and acting as agents of UAE.The outlet reported that Judge Sanket Bulsara held Mr Barracks' $250m release bond and directed him to avoid contact with officials of the country. He was also ordered not to travel by private aircraft, conduct foreign financial transactions or make domestic transactions exceeding $50,000.Minutes ago, Defendant Tom Barrack entered the EDNY in Brooklyn. @CBSNews will also be there. His hearing starts at noon. pic.twitter.com/G0fFy5ijyP Cassandra Gauthier (@cassgtv) July 26, 2021In a memo, the prosecution argued that Mr Barrack was a flight threat because he held dual citizenship in the US and Lebanon and had access to a private plane. CNBC reported that his lawyer denied that Mr Barrack owned a plane.In a statement sent to The Independent, Mr Barrack denied the allegations and stated that he would prove his innocence at court.Last week, the billionaire, who has been friends for over 40 years with Donald Trump, was arrested on charges including obstruction of justice, lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation, and lying about Trump's health.Prosecutors claim that he and two other conspirators used his friendship with Donald Trump to promote the UAE's wish list in the White House, during media interviews and even during a 2016 interview for national television.Continue the storyAccording to the indictment Mr Barrack later emailed a coconspirator, UAE national Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahi, that he had nailed the deal for the home team.Matt Herrington, the defence attorney, stated in an email to Law&Crime (PDF) that Mr Barrack was voluntarily available for investigators from the beginning and would continue to challenge the allegations in court.You can read the full statement of Mr Barracks:All of these charges are false and I will be proven innocent in court. We must remember that three miles away, in New York Harbor, is the Statue of Liberty, holding a torch in her right hand, signifying enlightenment. She welcomes the seven continents and seven seas, welcoming them all.My grandparents arrived in America in 1896 and 1900. They were humble and modest, and gave me the gift that America has to give. This statue is made from steel and has a copper patina. We were in a very hot moment, and I can only say that the hardest steel is made from the hottest fire.
