Trump's son reimbursed a businessman close to Putin for the cost of the wedding
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that his family paid for his son's wedding.
According to Trump, there was nothing illegal about paying for a party for a friend, and he has done so on multiple occasions. However, the president claims that, upon learning about this story, he asked his son about it, and his son replied, “I’m paying him back, Dad.”
The money had to be returned to Umar Kremlev (Lutfulloev), a businessman close to the Kremlin and president of the International Boxing Association (IBA).
“He didn’t want that to happen, so, as I heard, he reimbursed everything,” Trump added.
The White House chief also suggested that his son was unaware of Kremlev’s ties to the Russian leadership because “he didn’t check his background.” A source close to Trump Jr. confirmed to The Washington Post that the funds had been returned.
Earlier, Trump Jr.’s wife, Bettina Anderson, stated that “dear friend Umar” had given the newlyweds an “extremely generous wedding gift” by organizing two “stunning celebratory evenings” after the wedding itself. ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid for the rental of a private island in the Bahamas, fireworks, and other expenses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, while his team helped organize the celebrations.
As a reminder, the U.S. House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the financing of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. The inquiry focuses on the possible involvement of Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev in the financing.
Russian oligarch paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Trump Jr.’s wedding — ProPublica
