Axios: U.S. House Democrats launch investigation into Russian boxing official Umar Kremlev’s spending on Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration
U.S. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has opened an investigation into Umar Kremlev’s possible role in organizing Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, Axios reports.
Garcia has formally requested that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles provide “all documents, records, and communications” concerning Kremlev, as well as information about whether Trump Jr. has security clearance. He also asked why the president skipped his son’s wedding and whether his absence was related to the presence of Russian guests.
Garcia asked Trump Jr. to provide the guest list, the dates of his contacts with Kremlev, and details of all wedding-related purchases and gifts by foreign nationals, particularly “those with close ties to adversaries” of the United States.
Garcia can obtain the information only if it is provided voluntarily because Democrats are currently in the minority in the House of Representatives, Axios said. That could change if Democrats win a majority in the November 3 midterm elections. Garcia could then become Congress’s chief investigator and gain broader powers.
The investigation follows a ProPublica report that Kremlev helped finance Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration in the Bahamas in May. ProPublica found that Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent an island for the event and cover the cost of fireworks and other expenses. The money came from a Dubai account linked to the International Boxing Association, which Kremlev heads.
A representative for Trump Jr. called Kremlev “a personal friend of Don” and denied that the two had any business relationship. President Donald Trump said he had “no idea who Umar is.” Trump also said Kremlev had not paid for his son’s wedding. According to the president, it was a separate party honoring the newlyweds.
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