From Intern to Co-Defendant: Tom Barrack Protege Faces Loyalty Test

  • Matthew Grimes lived in Barrack’s home, took trips with boss
  • Prosecutors likely to pressure Grimes to turn on his mentor
Matthew Grimes arrives at federal court in Brooklyn on July 26.
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Working for Tom Barrack took Matthew Grimes to some exciting places -- he flew on private planes to international destinations, lived on a $15 million estate and even partied at the inauguration of former President Donald Trump.

That glittering life came to a halt when Grimes, 27, was arrested at around 6 a.m. on July 20 in Santa Monica, California. His 74-year-old former boss was arrested a few hours later at an office park in the San Fernando Valley. He and Barrack appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges that include acting as unregistered foreign agents trying to influence U.S. policy on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.