Even as former US President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time on Tuesday, numerous people in his orbit have been charged with various crimes, with some still awaiting trial.
Six Trump associates, none of whom were named, were listed as co-conspirators in Tuesday’s indictment. Prosecutors said they helped spread Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
Here is a look at some of the Trump aides and allies who have faced criminal prosecution.
Steve Bannon
Trump’s former campaign and White House strategist was convicted in 2022 of contempt of Congress. Bannon was charged after defying a demand to appear before a US House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, US Capitol attack by Trump supporters seeking to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s November 2020 election victory. Bannon, who has appealed, has yet to be sentenced.
Bannon also faces New York state charges of money laundering and conspiracy, accused by prosecutors of swindling Trump supporters in a scheme involving donations solicited to help build his promised wall along the US-Mexico border. Bannon, who pleaded not guilty, is due to go on trial in May 2024.
He also was charged in federal court over that same project, but the case ended when Trump pardoned Bannon in the final hours of his presidency in 2021.
Roger Stone
Trump’s longtime friend and adviser was convicted in 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Trump commuted his sentence the day before Stone, a veteran Republican political operative, was due to report to prison to serve a sentence of three years and four months. Trump subsequently pardoned Stone.
Allen Weisselberg
The former chief financial officer at Trump’s real estate company served more than three months in jail for helping to engineer a wide-ranging tax fraud. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in 2022 and served as a star witness in the Trump Organization’s criminal trial on tax fraud charges. The company was convicted but Trump himself was not charged.
Peter Navarro
The former Trump White House adviser was charged with contempt of Congress after refusing to provide testimony to the House panel investigating the Capitol attack. Navarro, who has pleaded not guilty, has yet to face trial. Two other close Trump associates, Mark Meadows and Daniel Scavino, did not face similar criminal charges despite a House vote recommending them.
Michael Cohen
Trump’s former personal lawyer and “fixer” was sentenced to a three-year prison term after pleading guilty in 2018 for his role in making illegal hush money payments before the 2016 election to two women – porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – who have said they had sexual encounters with Trump years earlier. Cohen also pleaded guilty that year to lying to Congress about negotiations concerning a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow, a project that never materialized. Cohen has become a fierce critic of Trump.
Micheal Flynn
The retired US Army lieutenant general served as Trump’s national security adviser for less than a month in 2017. Flynn, who also previously served as head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, pleaded guilty that year to lying to the FBI about his interactions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States in the weeks before Trump took office, then tried to withdraw that plea. Trump pardoned him in 2020.
Paul Manafort
Trump’s former campaign chairman was found guilty in 2018 of fraud and pleaded guilty to money laundering and lobbying violations related to his work as a political consultant for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. Manafort was sentenced to 7-1/2 years in prison but was pardoned by Trump in December 2020.
Manafort also faced fraud charges in state court in New York but they were dismissed in 2019 by a judge who concluded that the charges violated Manafort’s protection against “double jeopardy” – being prosecuted twice for the same conduct.
Rick Gates
Manafort’s former business partner, who was also deputy chairman of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy and lying to investigators in the Russia campaign probe. Gates was sentenced in 2019 to 45 days in jail. He testified as a prosecution witness in Manafort’s trial.
Elliot Broidy
The former Trump fundraiser pleaded guilty in 2020 to violating foreign lobbying laws by attempting to influence Trump’s administration on behalf of Chinese and Malaysian interests. Trump pardoned Broidy.
Jan. 6 prosecutions
More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack. The most serious charge has been seditious conspiracy – a felony involving attempts “to overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the government of the United States.”
Roughly 570 have pleaded guilty and 78 have been found guilty at trial.
Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the right-wing Oath Keepers militant group, was given the longest of the sentences – 18 years in prison – for seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Leaders of the Proud Boys, another right-wing group, also were convicted of seditious conspiracy. They have yet to be sentenced.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.
He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.
The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.
At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books
As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”
Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.
Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.
Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.
Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.
Automation
The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.
Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.
US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79
US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.
In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.
He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.
President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.