Rob Goldstone

1 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERVIEW OF: ROB GOLDSTONE Monday, December 18, 2017 Washington, D.C. The interview in the above matter was held in Room HVC-304, the Capitol, commencing at 1:35 p.m. Present: Representatives Conaway, King, Ros-Lehtinen, Gowdy, Stefanik, Himes, Quigley, Swalwell, Castro, and Heck. UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE Appearances: For the PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: For ROB GOLDSTONE: G. ROBERT GAGE, JR., ESQ. BERNARD W. OZAROWSKI III, ESQ. GAGE SPENCER & FLEMING LLP 410 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE Good afternoon. This is a transcribed interview of Rob Goldstone. Thank you for speaking with us today. For the record, I am a staff member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Also present today from HPSCI are a number of members and staff, who will identify themselves when they ask questions. Before we begin, I wanted to state a few things for the record. The questioning will be conducted by members and staff. During the course of this interview, members and staff may ask questions during their allotted time period. Some questions may seem basic. That is because we need to clearly establish facts and understand the situation. Please do not assume we know any facts you have previously disclosed as part of any other investigation or review. This interview will be conducted at the unclassified level. During the course of this interview, we will take any breaks that you desire. We ask that you give complete and fulsome replies to questions based on your best recollections. If a question is unclear or you are uncertain in your response, please let us know. If you do not know the answer to a question or cannot remember, simply say so. You're entitled to have a lawyer present for this interview, though you are not required to. I understand you do have counsel present. And if counsel would identify themselves for the record, I would appreciate it. MR. GAGE: Yes. Robert Gage. MR. OZAROWSKI: Bernard Ozarowski. UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 4 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE Thank you. As you can see, this interview will be transcribed. There is a reporter making a record of these proceeding so we can easily consult a written compilation of your answers. Because the reporter cannot record gestures, we ask that you answer verbally. If you forget to do this, you may be reminded to do so. You may also be asked to spell certain terms or unusual phrases. Consistent with the committee's rules of procedure, you or your counsel, upon request, will have a reasonable opportunity to inspect the transcript of this interview in order to determine whether your answers were correctly transcribed. The transcript will remain in the committee's custody. The committee also reserves the right to request your return for additional questions should the need arise. The process for the interview is as follows: The minority will be given 45 minutes to ask questions; then the majority will be given 45 minutes to ask questions. Immediately thereafter, we will take a 5-minute break, after which the minority will be given 15 minutes to ask questions and the majority will be given 15 minutes to ask questions until the questions are exhausted. These time limits will be strictly adhered to by all sides, with no extensions being granted. Time will be kept for each portion of the interview, with warnings given at the 5- and 1-minute mark respectively. To ensure confidentiality, we ask that you do not discuss the interview with anyone other than your attorneys. You are reminded that it is unlawful to deliberately provide false information to Members of Congress or staff. Lastly, the record will reflect you are voluntarily participating in this UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 5 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE interview, which will be under oath. And if you will now raise your right hand, I will swear the witness. Do you solemnly swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? MR. GOLDSTONE: I do. Let the record reflect the witness answered in the affirmative. Chairman Conaway? MR. CONAWAY: Thank you, Mr. Goldstone. Mr. Schiff, do you have any comments? MR. SCHIFF: No. Just that we appreciate your agreement to testify today. MR. CONAWAY: Very good. We will start with the minority's 45. Adam? MR. SCHIFF: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Goldstone, where do you live? MR. GOLDSTONE: I live in . MR. SCHIFF: And you're a citizen of what country or countries? MR. GOLDSTONE: I'm a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. MR. SCHIFF: Do you have any ties to Russia? Have you previously lived there? MR. GOLDSTONE: I've never lived in Russia. MR. SCHIFF: And how did you come to do business with the Agalarovs then? MR. GOLDSTONE: I was introduced to Emin Agalarov in my capacity as a music publicist at the end of 2011. At the time, his manager, who has since UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 6 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE passed away, was looking to expand his reach of an entertainer into the United States, and I was recommended as somebody to handle public relations for him. MR. SCHIFF: And between that time and today, that time and 2011, how often would you go to Russia as a byproduct of that work? MR. GOLDSTONE: So, in addition to being his publicist, I ultimately became his international music manager, and that led to me visiting Russia, on average, two to three times a year, sometimes more often, sometimes less often. But, in total, as of to date, I've been about 19 times. MR. SCHIFF: And in your work for Emin Agalarov, do you have a position with the Crocus Group? With the Agalarovs? Is he a client of yours? What's the nature of the relationship? MR. GOLDSTONE: So I have a small, independent public relations, events, and marketing company, and Emin was my client. So I was paid a fee as a consultant. I was never on a payroll as a staff member of Crocus or any other group. MR. SCHIFF: So you never had any Russian employer or contract except by virtue of your role as a publicist and ultimately manager for Emin Agalarov. MR. GOLDSTONE: That is correct. MR. SCHIFF: I take it you've never worked for the Russian Government or anyone purported to be connected with the government. MR. GOLDSTONE: That is correct. MR. SCHIFF: And you don't do any lobbying, do you? MR. GOLDSTONE: I do not. MR. SCHIFF: So, if you could, go through the circumstances in 2011 of when you first came into contact with Emin. UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE MR. GOLDSTONE: I was representing a young singer out of Westchester County in New York, and her manager said that a friend of his managed a Russian pop star. And he was London-based. And he thought, because I was originally from England and I had experience of working in many different territories, that I could be potentially a good selection to handle public relations for Emin. So he set up a meeting. I don't exactly recall where the meeting was, but it was in a hotel in New York City. I put together a small press plan of how I thought we could introduce Emin to the U.S. market and beyond, in fact. And Emin seemed to like it. And instantly we seemed to have a little bit of a rapport, and I was hired as his publicist almost immediately, I think the following day. MR. SCHIFF: Now, you said, I think, that you currently live in New Jersey? MR. GOLDSTONE: I do. MR. SCHIFF: And how long have you lived there? MR. GOLDSTONE: I have lived there approximately 6 years. MR. SCHIFF: And, prior to that, did you live in the U.K.? MR. GOLDSTONE: Prior to that, I lived in New York City. I have lived in New York City since 1991. MR. SCHIFF: And as a result of the relationship that you began with Emin in 2011, how often would you communicate with him? MR. GOLDSTONE: Sometimes hourly. Sometimes every few hours. I mean, at least every day. MR. SCHIFF: Do you consider him a friend as well as a client? MR. GOLDSTONE: I do. MR. SCHIFF: And, in the course of that, how often have you come into contact with his father, Aras? UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 8 UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE MR. GOLDSTONE: Quite a bit. I mean, mainly at family events, birthdays, concerts. Usually big family events that are tied to music concerts that Emin does, and so I've met his father at those, both in Moscow, in New York, and also in their native Azerbaijan. They're from Azerbaijan. So I've also met them on their, kind of, home turf, as it were. MR. SCHIFF: You don't represent Aras Agalarov in any way. MR. GOLDSTONE: I do not, no. MR. SCHIFF: Do you represent any other individuals of Russian origin? MR. GOLDSTONE: I represent the Russian Tearoom. But it's not -- I mean, it's technically of Russian origin.

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