A former bodyguard and personal aide of President Trump has privately testified that he rejected a Russian offer to send five women to Trump’s room during a 2013 visit to Moscow, CNN reports. According to multiple Republican and Democratic sources, Keith Schiller revealed that the offer came about when Trump and his team were in Russia for the Miss Universe pageant.
Schiller originally served as director of Oval Office operations when the Trump administration began, but left his position in September. He addressed the 2013 visit after members of the House intelligence committee inquired about allegations in the dossier exploring Trump’s relationship with Russia. Several sources reported that the offer to send Trump prostitutes came from a Russian with pop star Emin Agalarov, whose father is close with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Donald Trump’s longtime confidant Keith Schiller privately testifies that he rejected a Russian offer to send 5 women to Trump’s hotel room during a 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant, sources say https://t.co/DrrtSqpnIq pic.twitter.com/qsJQK7O7sI
— CNN (@CNN) November 9, 2017
Schiller reportedly didn’t take the offer seriously, and when he later told Trump about it, the then-businessman laughed off the story. However, the committee was inclined to think otherwise because of a Daily Caller article suggesting an “alternative story” of Schiller’s rejection of the Russian offer. The Daily Caller story includes differing facts such as Trump’s offer coming from Agalarov himself.
The rise of differing, incriminating reports of Schiller’s testimony inspired his attorney to speak out. In a statement, Stuart Sears said, “We are appalled by the leaks that are coming from partisan insiders from the House Intelligence Committee. It is outrageous that the very committee that is conducting an investigation into leaks—purportedly in the public interest—is itself leaking information and defaming cooperative witnesses like Mr. Schiller.”
Trump has denied the dossier’s claims since it was publicly revealed in January.