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Ex-regional journalist caught up in Trump Jr Russia scandal

Rob GoldstoneA former regional journalist is at the heart of an international political scandal involving US President Donald Trump.

Rob Goldstone, left, who worked in newspapers in the UK and later became a music publicist for pop stars including Michael Jackson, is believed to have brokered a meeting between a Russian lawyer and President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr.

At the meeting, the lawyer allegedly offered to supply Trump Jr with damaging material on his father’s rival Hillary Clinton.

Rob, who represents pop star Emin Agalarov, the son of an Azerbaijani-Russian oligarch, began his journalism career at the Radcliffe Times and later worked for the Birmingham Mail before changing careers.

The Mail reports that it was allegedly on Agalarov’s behalf that Rob arranged a meeting between lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump Jr.

It is claimed campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, Trump senior’s son-in-law, were also present at the meeting, which is said to have taken place on 9 June 2016.

On the day of the meeting, Rob used Facebook to ‘check-in’ to Trump Tower in New York, with the caption: “Preparing for meeting.”

While representing Agalarov, he is estimated to have made at least 19 trips to Russia.

US authorities are currently investigating possible interference by Russia in last year’s US presidential election.