Sen. Curtis urges Senate probe into Trump Jr. over oligarch-funded wedding
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Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Donald Trump Jr. used his proximity to the presidency for financial benefit after a Russian oligarch helped pay for his wedding party. Curtis sent a letter Tuesday urging subpoenas for Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden over foreign gifts and business dealings. The move comes as some Republicans grow more willing to criticize President Trump amid the Iran war and midterm concerns.
Key Facts
- Sen. John Curtis sent a letter Tuesday to Judiciary Committee leaders Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin urging subpoenas for Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden.
- ProPublica reported last week that Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association with close ties to Vladimir Putin, helped pay for a private island rental and fireworks at Trump Jr.'s May wedding in the Bahamas.
- Curtis called the oligarch-funded wedding gift 'corruption' in a social media video posted last Friday.
- President Trump did not attend his son's wedding but defended Kremlev's involvement and said the money would be paid back.
The Investigation Call
Curtis's letter asks the committee to subpoena Trump Jr. over business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts received, and any instances where his relationship to President Trump 'was invoked or understood to provide value.' He called for the same scrutiny of Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden. 'The country should not have to accept one standard for the family of a Republican president and another for the family of a Democratic president,' Curtis wrote. Curtis, first elected to the Senate in 2024, has previously criticized Trump but the call for a committee investigation marks a notable escalation.
The Wedding Funding
Umar Kremlev, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, helped pay to rent a private island and for a fireworks show when Trump Jr. and socialite Bettina Anderson married in the Bahamas in May. In an Instagram post signed by the couple, Bettina Trump wrote that Kremlev was a 'dear friend' who 'very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.' President Trump, who did not attend the wedding, defended Kremlev's involvement but said the money would be paid back.
Republican Criticism
The letter comes as a few Republicans have shown a growing willingness to criticize Trump after largely avoiding public breaks during much of his second term. The unpopular war in Iran, high gas prices, and mounting concerns about GOP prospects in November's midterm elections have brought increased scrutiny of the president from within his own party. Curtis wrote on social media that Republicans 'nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden's foreign relationships' and that they 'should not unplug it now.'
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