---
[ LOS ANGELES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)
# Putin Does Not Deny That Russia Has ‘Compromising Material’ On Trump … Including the Pee Tape
July 16 2018
Written by Marina Fang.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
HUFF POST--Russian President [Vladimir Putin](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/vladimir-putin) on Monday did not deny that the Russian government may have “compromising material” about President Donald Trump and his family.
Asked by The Associated Press’ Jonathan Lemire during an extraordinary press conference with Trump in Helsinki, Finland, Putin acknowledged the “rumors” before evading the question.
“It’s difficult to imagine nonsense of a bigger scale than this,” Putin said, according to a translator. “Well, please, just disregard this issues \[sic\], and don’t think about this anymore again.”
Among the rumors is the infamous “[pee tape](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/pee-tape),” a purported recording that [supposedly contains footage](https://mashable.com/2018/03/16/donald-trump-pee-tape-golden-showers-explainer/) of Trump and urinating prostitutes at a Moscow hotel in 2013, when the then-reality television star and “Miss Universe” owner was there for that year’s pageant hosted in Moscow.
Putin on Monday claimed that he “didn’t even know” Trump was in Moscow at that time.
“I treat President Trump with utmost respect, but back then, when he was a private individual, nobody informed me he was in Moscow,” Putin said.
But it has been widely reported that Trump and Putin were in fact in contact.
Putin reportedly could not meet with Trump but sent him a gift, [according to the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-a-personal-letter-trump-invited-putin-to-the-2013-miss-universe-pageant/2018/03/09/a3404358-23d2-11e8-a589-763893265565_story.html?utm_term=.ac20cacd8aa3). The Post also reported that Trump wrote Putin a personal letter inviting him to the pageant.
Trump himself claimed in 2014 that Putin contacted him at the time.
“When I went to Russia for the Miss Universe Pageant, Putin contacted me. And was so nice,” he said in a Fox News interview.
During his 2013 visit, he told MSNBC that Putin ”\[is\] very interested in what we’re doing here today.”
“I’m sure he’s going to be seeing it in some form, but I do have a relationship with him,” Trump said.
And in June 2013, Trump famously tweeted about potentially meeting Putin and whether he would “become my new best friend.”
*(Marina Fang writes for [HuffPost](http://huffingtonpost.com) …where this report originated.)*
*-cw*
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Email
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33543-karen-bass-matters-stop-the-dsa)
### [Karen Bass Matters - Stop the DSA](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33543-karen-bass-matters-stop-the-dsa)
I WON’T BE SILENT - Full disclosure: I can’t vote for mayor of Los Angeles because I live in Beverly Hills. But I am as…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33548-do-we-want-a-governor-or-an-underground-pawn-in-sacramento)
### [Do We Want A Governor, or An Underground Pawn, in Sacramento?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33548-do-we-want-a-governor-or-an-underground-pawn-in-sacramento)
ALPERN AT LARGE - Let’s be honest—Steve Hilton wants Californians to learn more about what he proposes, and Xavier Bece…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
### [The LA Watchdog’s 2026 Voter Guide](https://mail.citywatchla.com/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
LA WATCHDOG - My recommendations are influenced by the need for truly balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, long ter…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33562-marissa-roy-the-other-face-of-gascon)
### [Marissa Roy: The Other Face of Gascón](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33562-marissa-roy-the-other-face-of-gascon)
Los Angeles voters rejected George Gascón's progressive prosecution experiment in 2024. Now, a City Attorney candidate…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33573-airbnbs-funding-of-mayor-bass-raises-the-specter-of-a-pay-to-play-ploy)
### [Airbnb’s Funding of Mayor Bass Raises the Specter of a Pay‑to‑Play Ploy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33573-airbnbs-funding-of-mayor-bass-raises-the-specter-of-a-pay-to-play-ploy)
ELECTION 2026 - Los Angeles has been shaken by a powerful corporation pouring money into Mayor Karen Bass’s campaign in…
---
## [ LOS ANGELES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33568-grifters-regulators-and-the-incompetent-love-la)### [Grifters, Regulators and the Incompetent Love LA](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33568-grifters-regulators-and-the-incompetent-love-la)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33572-if-they-go-over-budget-we-pay-la28-still-has-not-opened-its-books)### [If They Go Over Budget, We Pay: LA28 Still Has Not Opened Its Books](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33572-if-they-go-over-budget-we-pay-la28-still-has-not-opened-its-books)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33573-airbnbs-funding-of-mayor-bass-raises-the-specter-of-a-pay-to-play-ploy)### [Airbnb’s Funding of Mayor Bass Raises the Specter of a Pay‑to‑Play Ploy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33573-airbnbs-funding-of-mayor-bass-raises-the-specter-of-a-pay-to-play-ploy)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33551-why-people-are-leaving-los-angeles-in-2026-the-numbers-where-they-go-and-what-it-costs-to-move-out)### [Why People Are Leaving Los Angeles in 2026: The Numbers, Where They Go, and What It Costs to Move Out](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33551-why-people-are-leaving-los-angeles-in-2026-the-numbers-where-they-go-and-what-it-costs-to-move-out)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33517-25-year-l-a-fire-veteran-sounds-alarm-on-dire-conditions-inside-the-department)### [25-Year L.A. Fire Veteran Sounds Alarm on Dire Conditions Inside the Department](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33517-25-year-l-a-fire-veteran-sounds-alarm-on-dire-conditions-inside-the-department)