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Democrats Probe Alleged Russian Funding of Trump Jr. Wedding Parties
Democrats in Congress are investigating money reportedly used for parties connected to Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding.
The celebrations took place in the Bahamas in May.
A wealthy Russian businessman named Umar Kremlev reportedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for some of the events.
Bettina Trump said Kremlev was a friend and paid for two after-parties, not the wedding itself.
Democrats are asking why he paid and whether he expected something in return.
Senator Chuck Schumer said the arrangement could be a bribe from a foreign leader.
Donald Trump said he did not know Kremlev and that the issue was not important.
Kremlev and the International Boxing Association did not respond to requests for comment.
A representative for Donald Trump Jr. also declined to comment.
House Democrats opened an investigation into reported Russian financing of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations.
ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for festivities in the Bahamas.
Bettina Trump said Kremlev paid for two after-parties as an extraordinarily generous wedding gift, not the wedding itself.
Donald Trump said he did not know Kremlev and called the controversy “not a big deal.”
Democrats questioned whether the financial support created corruption or national-security concerns.
- Who
- House Democrats, including Representative Robert Garcia, are investigating reported payments by Umar Kremlev connected to Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations.
- What
- Congressional Democrats launched a probe into whether a Russian businessman’s funding of two wedding after-parties raised corruption and national-security concerns.
- Where
- The wedding celebrations took place in the Bahamas, while the congressional investigation is in the United States.
- When
- The investigation was launched during the week of September 15; the wedding festivities occurred in May.
- Why
- Democrats want to know why Kremlev financed the events and whether he expected something in return.
Democratic concerns
Defense and dismissal
Possible foreign influence
Democratic concerns
Democrats said payments from a Russian oligarch with reported ties to the Russian government could pose corruption and national-security risks.
Defense and dismissal
Bettina Trump described the payment as an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, while Donald Trump said the controversy was not significant.
What was funded
Democratic concerns
Democrats focused on the reported hundreds of thousands of dollars paid by Kremlev for wedding-related festivities and questioned what he might expect in return.
Defense and dismissal
Bettina Trump said Kremlev paid for two after-parties, not the wedding itself.
Need for congressional scrutiny
Democratic concerns
Representative Robert Garcia and Senator Chuck Schumer called for scrutiny of the arrangement and its potential ethical implications.
Defense and dismissal
Donald Trump rejected the significance of the issue, and representatives for Donald Trump Jr. and Kremlev did not provide substantive public responses.
Key facts
- Reported financier
- Umar Kremlev, described as a wealthy Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association.
- Reported amount
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Events funded
- Two after-parties connected to Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, according to Bettina Trump.
- Location
- The Bahamas.
- Investigation leader
- Representative Robert Garcia, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
- Donald Trump’s response
- He said he did not know Kremlev and called the controversy “not a big deal.”
- Kremlev’s response
- Kremlev and the International Boxing Association did not respond to requests for comment.
Quotes
Robert Garcia
Democratic representative and senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“Why is a Russian oligarch and friend of Vladimir Putin financially supporting the President’s son? What does Umar Kremlev expect in return for funding this three-day wedding in the Bahamas?”
theprint.in
“You’re dealing with a Russian oligarch, not just a cousin who’s giving you a gift…sometimes a wedding gift is a bribe from a foreign autocrat.”
theprint.in
Sources
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