A Republican senator on Friday accused the Trump family of being involved in “corruption” and provided a bleak view of the economy.
“A Russian oligarch paid for a lavish wedding after-party for Donald Trump Jr. — which, to me, it just stinks. It’s corruption. I don’t like it,” said Sen. John Curtis, Utah Republican, in a video. “You’ll hear more from me later on. This is a big deal.”
Don Jr. and his wife, Bettina, have acknowledged that Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman with ties to President Vladimir Putin, partially paid for their wedding weekend in the Bahamas.
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” the newlyweds wrote in a joint statement. “It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful.”
Mr. Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing Association, which under his tenure has received financial backing from Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company. He has praised Mr. Putin and accompanied him on a state visit to China.
The Trump couple said the gift was not a quid pro quo.
“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,” they wrote.
President Trump on Friday said the gift is “totally allowed” but that his son paid Mr. Kremlev back for funding the wedding weekend.
Mr. Curtis, who filled the seat of another thorn in Mr. Trump’s side, former Sen. Mitt Romney, has expressed disagreements with the president.
In the same social media post, he bemoaned Republicans’ handling of the economy and the expansion of data centers — a pessimistic message ahead of midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
“There’s no shortage of lows this week,” he said, adding that gas prices are “reaching new highs” and “we’re not seeing any relief on these prices coming at us across the board.”
On Americans’ concerns about data centers, he expressed frustration that “we’re not adequately addressing any of this in Washington, D.C.”
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