U.S. Secret Service agents visited a downtown Moscow nightclub known for raucous parties in 2000, ahead of a state visit to Russia by then-President Bill Clinton, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing an informed source.
Secret Service staff and White House advance staff preparing for Clinton's state visit to Russia attended events at the Hungry Duck nightclub, the Wall Street Journal said. A Clinton spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
The Hungry Duck, which opened in the mid-1990s in the center of Moscow, featured performances by strippers and patrons, the newspaper said. It was set up by a Canadian, Doug Steele, together with several partners from Georgia. They sold their interest in 1998 following a dispute with a number of influential Russian officials. The nightclub closed down for good in 2009.
As many as 920 women supposedly once took part in a mass striptease at the Hungry Duck.
Reports that Secret Service and White House personnel visited the nightclub follow revelations that Secret Service members visited prostitutes in Colombia in April during President Obama's visit.
Twelve Secret Service agents, who were supposed to ensure the safety of the American leader during his visit to Colombia for a diplomatic summit, as well as twelve military members of the delegation, were suspended from their duties and sent home for “inappropriate behavior.” The agents allegedly visited a strip club there and some brought prostitutes back to their hotel rooms, the newspaper said.
