A Republican senator's call to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. over his business dealings with a Russian oligarch who helped fund his wedding has garnered support from two other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The push for an investigation stems from a ProPublica report detailing how businessman Umar Kremlev, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, rented a private island and paid for a fireworks display for Trump Jr.'s wedding earlier this year.
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) urging an investigation into Donald Trump Jr.'s business ties with Kremlev. Curtis argued that Republicans should apply the same scrutiny to the former president's son as they did to Hunter Biden, who was subpoenaed in 2023. "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. He reiterated this stance on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "A toaster is a wedding gift. A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else. Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now."
This position marks a departure from the broader Republican Party's general tendency to overlook concerns regarding the Trump family's business dealings. However, two other senators on the Judiciary panel have indicated their support for Curtis's call. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring, described Donald Trump Jr.'s acceptance of the gifts as "colossally bad judgment at best." Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) also stated, "I’m with Sen. Curtis. I would support Sen. Curtis’s request."
Donald Trump defended Kremlev's gifts, stating his son had already repaid the oligarch and that such contributions were "totally allowed." Bettina Anderson, Trump Jr.'s wife, also defended the gifts on Instagram, writing, "Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift."
The controversy also drew a response from Hunter Biden, who wrote on X, "I had no foreign business dealings while my father was president. None. I painted paintings, and I still do. I’ll sit next to Don Jr. and testify any time, any place. Eric and Jared can join us too. No need for a subpoena. Let’s all do it tomorrow."
As of Tuesday, Senator Grassley had not yet read Curtis's letter, citing a heavy workload of other committee concerns.