Russian pop star who set up infamous meeting denies offering Trump prostitutes in Moscow
Emin Agalarov brokered the Trump Tower meeting between campaign officials and a Russian lawyer offering dirt on Hillary Clinton
Emin Agalarov — the elusive Russian pop star infamous for brokering a meeting between Trump campaign officials and an attorney promising political dirt on Hillary Clinton — claims he never offered to send prostitutes to Donald Trump’s hotel room during his trip to Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant.
In his first response to allegations he played part in Russian collusion, Agalarov waved off the prostitute claim — which is referenced in the explosive Trump-Russia dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele.
I would have never even offer [prostitutes to Trump] because I can never live up to the high level of the most amazing and beautiful women surrounding us constantly
“Mr Trump came to Moscow with 87 of the most beautiful ladies in the world,” Agalarov, 38, told Vice News Tonight on HBO in an interview set to air in full Tuesday night. “I would have never even offer it because I can never live up to the high level of the most amazing and beautiful women surrounding us constantly.”
Agalarov is the son of Aras Agalarov, a billionaire Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin who was once in talks with Trump to develop a since-defunct real estate project in Moscow.
The Agalarovs spent three days in Moscow with Trump during the 2013 pageant. The younger Agalarov said he had no knowledge of anyone offering Trump prostitutes.
That contrasts statements from Trump’s longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller, who testified last year he rebuffed an offer during the 2013 trip from someone who wanted to send five women to his boss’ room.
The younger Agalarov confirmed he was a driving factor behind the infamous June 3, 2016, sit-down at Trump Tower in Manhattan. The meeting, which is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller, was attended by Agalarov’s publicist, Rob Goldstone, ex-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jnr and Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who Goldstone had promised would provide dirt on the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Trump campaign officials have insisted the meeting was pointless and that nothing came of it.
Four months before the Trump Tower meeting, Goldstone discussed Trump’s political rise with Agalarov during a brainstorming session in London.
“In the States, I’m absent,” Agalarov says in newly unearthed video footage of the conversation. “Musically, I’m nonexistent. So this could be an interesting instrument of exposure, if played right.”
Goldstone tells Agalarov in the video the Trump campaign had “asked for a bit of help getting to Russian-American voters.”
“They’re very excited about this, the Trump people,” Goldstone adds.
Reached on Tuesday afternoon, Goldstone denied ever receiving a request for “help” from the Trump campaign and said he couldn’t recall the conversation in question.
“No one at Trump campaign actually asked me for anything!” Goldstone said.
Rather, Goldstone said he had passed on a request to the Trump campaign from a friend of his who works at VKontake, Russia’s dominant social media site. The friend had pitched a plan to the Trump campaign in which they would work together to attract Russian-American voters in the 2016 election.
“Nothing came of it,” Goldstone said.
Circling back to the Trump Tower meeting, Agalarov said he was in talks with Trump Jnr before the sit-down. Trump Jnr told the Senate Judiciary Committee in testimony released in May that he couldn’t recall ever speaking to Agalarov.
“I said, ‘Listen there’s some people that want to meet you,’” Agalarov recalled telling the president’s son. “They obviously want something that could potentially help them resolve things that you could be interested in or maybe not … Obviously Don Jnr obviously being Don Jnrsaid, ‘Of course. I’ll do it if you’re asking.’”
Trump Jnr’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
