Book pairs Culpo, Trump in meeting with Russian tycoon

By Tom Mooney 

Journal Staff Writer

Posted Mar 8, 2018 at 10:49 PM

A new book scheduled to be released next week, “Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump,” places Miss Universe Olivia Culpo with Trump in June 2013 in a “raunchy” Las Vegas nightclub along with the son of a prominent Russian businessman.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Cranston native Olivia Culpo, Miss Universe 2012, is the latest Rhode Islander whose ties to President Donald Trump have attracted attention.

A new book scheduled to be released next week, “Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump,” places Culpo with Trump in June 2013 in a “raunchy” Las Vegas nightclub along with the son of a prominent Russian businessman.

According to the book, Trump was in Las Vegas to preside over the Miss USA pageant, a preliminary to the Miss Universe contest. Culpo, now 25, was Miss Universe at the time. At the same time Trump was also pursuing a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

The book says Trump dined with the son of a Russian billionaire, Emin Agalarov, a Russian pop star looking for more U.S. exposure, and others, while in Las Vegas.

“Emin needed an attractive woman for a music video for Emin’s lat­est song — and they wanted the most beautiful woman they could find,” according to a book excerpt. “It seemed obvious to them that they should reach out to Miss Universe.”

After dinner, the book says, Trump joined Emin, the publicist, Culpo and others for an after-party at a nightclub called the Act: “Trump and Culpo were photographed in the lobby by a local paparazzi.”

According to the book, “The Act was no ordinary nightclub.” It had been the target of undercover surveillance by the Nevada Gaming Con­trol Board.

The club “featured semi-nude women” performing certain skits of a sexual nature that “a few months later would prompt a Nevada state judge to issue an injunction barring any more of its ‘lewd’ and ‘offensive’ performances.”

The Providence Journal attempted to reach out to Culpo Thursday, leaving a message with an employee at the North Kingstown restaurant she co-owns, Back 40. She did not return the call.

Culpo is the latest Rhode Islander with ties to Trump drawing attention: Michael Flynn, raised in Middletown, was Trump’s first national security adviser. Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about reaching out to the Russians on Trump’s behalf.

Trump’s first press secretary, Sean Spicer, grew up in Barrington.

The book is written by Michael Isikoff, the chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News, and David Corn, the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20180308/book-pairs-culpo-trump-in-meeting-with-russian-tycoon