FBI BADGE and gun (FBI photo).

A close friend of former President Donald Trump was arrested Tuesday – along with two other men – on charges of illegally lobbying Trump for the United Arab Emirates.

Federal agents arrested Thomas Barrack, 74, in Los Angeles. He was charged in a seven-count indictment in Brooklyn, according to CNBC.

Barrack, a private equity adviser, was chair of Trump’s inaugural fund.

He is accused of failing to register as a foreign lobbyist, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators.

Also charged were Matthew Grimes, a business associate of Barrack’s, and Rashid al-Malik Alshahhi, a businessman from the UAE reputed to be close to the rulers of that nation, the New York Times is reporting. The investigation has been underway for three years, said Justice Department officials.

The United Arab Emirates is a nation on the eastern end of the Arabian peninsula. It is rich in oil and its largest city, Dubai, has become a regional center for business and tourism.

Now, Bezos races into space, too

JEFF BEZOS (Wikipedia).

Just a few days after rival Richard Branson made history with his private space trip, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos soared into a suborbital journey aboard the Blue Origin rocket and landed – intact – 10 minutes later.

“You have a very happy crew here, I want you to know,” he said, according to United Press International.

A total of four people made the flight in Texas, riding a rocket five stories tall. Oliver Daemen, 18, became the youngest person ever to reach space.

Bezos has said his long-range plans are to someday build orbital rockets and establish an outpost on the moon.

Brady jokes with Biden at White House

TAMPA BAY BUCCS and President Joe Biden at White House.

The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to the White Tuesday and their star quarterback Tom Brady showed he was pretty good at slinging jokes, too.

“Not a lot of people think we could have won, and in fact I think about 40 percent of the people still don’t think we won,” said Brady, according to the Associated Press. “You understand that, Mr. President?”

Biden said, “I understand that.”

That reference to some people doubting the 2020 election was followed by another quip, this one about former President Donald Trump calling Biden “Sleepy Joe.”

“I lost track of one down in 21 years of playing and they started calling me ‘Sleepy Tom’” Brady added.