Russia might have a videotape of Trump’s prostitute golden shower, unsubstantiated report claims
A sensational but unconfirmed report has alleged that Russia has a dossier aimed at influencing and compromising US President-elect Donald Trump.
CNN broke the news last night that that US intelligence agencies have briefed President Barack Obama, the President-elect and senior political leaders on concerns that “Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr Trump”.
The briefing drew on a report which originated as opposition research from anti-Trump Republicans, which was drawn up by a former intelligence agent whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible. The document is unsubstantiated and reporters have not been able to verify its contents – but Buzzfeed published it in full.
The report include allegations that his Presidential campaign had secretly communicated with the Russian government, raising concerns about Trump officials and the Kremlin.
It also alleges that Russia has prepared a file of compromising intel aimed at influencing the US leader.
According to the report, one item held by the Russian government is a video tape filmed by secret FSB cameras at a hotel where Trump stayed in Moscow – which purportedly shows him engaging sex workers in acts of urination.
It says: “Trump‘s (perverted) conduct in Moscow included hiring the presidential suite of the Ritz Carlton Hotel, where he knew President and Mrs. Obama (who he hated) had stayed on one of their official trips to Russia, and defiling the bed where they had slept by employing a number of prostitutes to perform a ‘golden showers’ (urination) show in front of him.”
A subsequent report from the Guardian has alleged that the FBI last summer applied for a warrant to monitor four Trump campaign officials over suspicions of “irregular contact” with Russian officials, after the dossier was passed on by Senator John McCain.
The foreign intelligence surveillance court declined to grant a warrant.
Trump has angrily denied the claims, tweeting: “FAKE NEWS – A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!”.
Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, who is named in the report, has denied making a trip to Prague where the report alleges he met Russian officials.
The Russian government has rubbished the claims.
It says: “This is an obvious attempt to harm our bilateral relations Pulp fiction, that’s what it is called in English. Of course, probably the best way to react would be accordingly – with a certain sense of humor.
“Although there is a downside – indeed, there are those who are stirring up the hysteria, who go out of their way to maintain this state of a witch-hunt.”
However Buzzfeed has defended its decision to publish the report.
Editor-in-chief Ben Smith wrote in a message to staff: “Our presumption is to be transparent in our journalism and to share what we have with our readers. We have always erred on the side of publishing. In this case, the document was in wide circulation at the highest levels of American government and media.
“It seems to lie behind a set of vague allegations from the Senate Majority Leader to the director of the FBI and a report that intelligence agencies have delivered to the president and president-elect.
“Publishing the document was not an easy or simple call, and people of good will may disagree with our choice. But publishing this dossier reflects how we see the job of reporters in 2017.”
