Emin Agalarov – pop singer, real estate executive, and friend of Donald Trump – is cancelling four U.S. tour dates so as not to have to testify before Congress or the special counsel about his role in helping set up the June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr. and Natalia Veselnitskaya.
CNN:
Agalarov was set to launch a four-city US tour Saturday in New York. Looming over the impending engagement was the prospect of his being on US soil and subject to US law enforcement.
Agalarov attorney Scott Balber said talks broke down at the end of last week and the decision to cancel the tour was made Monday.
"It's the only choice we had," Balber said. "I've been endeavoring to engage with the special counsel's office as well as various congressional committees and despite our best effort we haven't been able to reach an agreement on the terms."
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Talks between the two sides about possibly doing interviews stopped this past summer but were revived when Agalarov planned on coming to the US for his tour.
Balber said Agalarov wanted to appear voluntarily in his interviews and would not agree to be served with a subpoena for his testimony. Balber did not specify whether it was Mueller or Congress who wanted to subpoena him.
As a Russian citizen, Agalarov is not subject to US jurisdiction. If he agreed to accept a subpoena, Agalarov could open himself up to scrutiny if he failed to fully respond to document and records requests, such as obstruction of justice charges, for instance.
... Balber said in a phone interview Monday that the cancellation is "most definitely" linked to the Russia probe.
"It has nothing to do with any substance," Balber said, adding that his client was "happy" to speak to Mueller's team and various congressional committees on a voluntary basis but the parties involved had not yet agreed on the "parameters" of that testimony.
"He could come and do the concert but we don't want him to be subpoenaed or held under a material witness warrant or anything else," Balber added.
CNN:
Agalarov posted an Instagram video about the cancellation Monday saying it was "due to circumstances beyond my control." He made no mention of special counsel Robert Mueller.
His tour was to promote his latest single "Got Me Good" and its video satirizing the Mueller investigation.
In the video, Agalarov sings in English alongside lookalikes of Trump, adult film performer Stormy Daniels and Hillary Clinton.
Agalarov’s new album “Good Love” is out on Friday, the day before the New York City concert was scheduled to happen.
The real Trump previously appeared in another Agalarov music video when the Miss Universe pageant was held in Moscow in 2013. Trump, who owned the pageant at the time, pretended to fire the singer as if he were a contestant on "The Apprentice."
CNN:
Emin and his father Aras Agalarov, a billionaire Russian real estate developer close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, helped Trump bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013, discussed a partnership to build a Trump Tower there, and supported Trump during the presidential campaign. On the day after the June 2016 meeting, Aras Agalarov sent Trump an expensive painting for his birthday, according to the House report.
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Trump responded with a thank you note to Agalarov several days later on June 17, 2016, and according to the House minority report it read, "I'm rarely at a loss for words, but right now I can only say how much I appreciate your friendship and to thank you for this fantastic gift. This is one birthday that I will always remember."
The relationship between the families continued after Trump won the election and was transitioning to the White House. On November 28, 2016, [Rob] Goldstone emailed [Trump's assistant Rhona] Graff stating, "Aras Agalarov has asked me to pass on this document in the hope it can be passed on to the appropriate team," according to the House report.
Emin Agalarov cancels US concert tour after not reaching testimony deal with Mueller and Congress (CNN)
Emin Agalarov, Russian singer linked to Trump family, cancels upcoming North American tour (NBC News)