Michael Cohen asks ex-prosecutor Elie Honig: Could Tom Barrack be tried for treason?

Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig speculated with Michael Cohen that Tom Barrack could reasonably be tried for treason after his off-the-books work for the UAE.

Barrack was arrested this month on the allegations that he was acting as a foreign agent when he was trying to influence former President Donald Trump. Another word for a "foreign agent" is a spy. For people like Barrack, if one is working with another country on lobbying the United States or attempting to influence policy, they must register with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Barrack didn't do that.

The law dates back to 1938 and aims to track the work and finances from other countries to impact the United States.

"There's potential treason here more so than even just FARA," said Cohen. "If you can break that down for me."

"Yeah. You know," Honig began, "the essence of a FARA charging foreign agents registration act charges essentially that a person was acting as a secret agent. I mean, not to de-glamorize James Bond or anything but that's essentially what a secret agent is, and if you look at the DOJ press release, one of the official quotes from one of the prosecutors in charge of this case, is that Barrack betrayed, the word is 'betrayed' in the press release, betrayed, they actually say betrayed Donald Trump. They say a country and several officials including the candidate or the former president, but obviously, it's Donald Trump."

He went on to explain whether or not he thinks Barrack would be likely to be charged with treason. The full episode of Cohen's "Mea Culpa" podcast will be available here at midnight.

Hear the clip below: