A Russian pop star was catapulted into the heart of a White House imbroglio this week.
Emin Agalarov approached President Trump’s oldest son, Donald Jr., through an intermediary during the 2016 campaign to offer information that could prove damaging to Hillary Clinton, according to the New York Times. Prior to this, Agalarov was hardly on the radar for any American.
Born in Azerbaijan and raised in Russia, Emin also has American roots. The Chicago Tribune reports he moved to New Jersey when he was 15 and later went to college in New York to study business.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the connection between the pop star and the Trump family dates back to 2013, when Agalarov and his father Aras, one of the richest men in Russia, hosted the Miss Universe contest in Moscow. Agalarov, who’s stage name is simply “Emin,” got Trump to make a cameo appearance in his music video for “In Another Life.”
The subject of Emin’s music is fairly tame, mostly consisting of mild-mannered love songs. While his tunes don’t stir up controversy, he’s vocal for one man who does. “Donald Trump is a super-successful businessman,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “His main advantage over other world leaders that sometimes come to power is that he actually ran a huge corporation.”
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