Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters
A Lebanese-American businessman and United Arab Emirates adviser cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller used one of President Trump’s top fundraisers to push the interests of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the White House, The New York Times reports. Previously undisclosed documents cited in the report are said to detail a year-long effort by the adviser, George Nader, to use Republican National Committee Deputy Finance Chairman Elliott Broidy to do the bidding of the Saudi and UAE governments inside the White House. The firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was among the top priorities Nader pushed in the White House, as was the president taking a harder line on Iran and Qatar. Nader is said to have offered Broidy more than $1 billion in contracts for his security company, Circinus, at one point in their correspondence. He also reportedly offered Broidy millions of dollars worth of business deals with the UAE. Nader praised Broidy for his ability to “handle” Trump and told Broidy he’d informed the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE of the “Pivotal Indispensable Magical Role you are playing to help them,” according to the report.