Congress investigating funding of Trump Jr.’s wedding party by Russian businessman
Дональд Трамп-молодший
In the US, House Democrat Robert Garcia has launched an investigation into Russian businessman Umar Kremlev’s involvement in financing Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. At the same time, ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid for part of the celebration’s expenses.
This is reported by Axios.
Garcia asked Trump Jr. to provide documents about his contacts with Kremlinov, a full guest list, and information about wedding expenses paid for by foreigners. The congressman also asked whether Trump Jr. received anything of value from Kremlinov in exchange for favorable treatment from the U.S. government or information about the president’s administration.
Garcia sent a separate request to the White House. He asked to provide documents and correspondence regarding Trump Jr.’s contacts with the Russian businessman, as well as to clarify whether the president’s son has access to classified information and whether he informed the administration about his connections with the Kremlin. Garcia also asked whether Donald Trump’s absence from the wedding was related to the presence of the Russian businessman.
Garcia is currently the minority member of the House Oversight Committee, so his requests are not binding. However, Axios notes that this could change if Democrats gain a majority in the House, in which case Garcia could head the committee and be given broader powers to investigate.
In a comment to Axios, Donald Trump said he doesn’t know Kremlev and has never heard of him. According to the US president, the Russian businessman did not pay for the wedding of his son Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson because the ceremony took place in a different place and on a different day.
At the same time, Trump confirmed that Kremlinov could have paid for a separate party in honor of the newlyweds. The president himself, he said, was not at the event.
Earlier, on September 14, ProPublica published an investigation into the financing of the celebration. According to journalists, Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on it, including paying for the rental of a private island in the Bahamas, where the reception was held and guests stayed, as well as fireworks.
A representative for Trump Jr. did not deny Kremlev’s financial involvement. He called the Russian businessman a personal friend of Trump Jr., while stating that they had no business relationship.