US Congress Democrats probe Russian oligarch financing of Trump Jr. wedding parties - Reuters

Democrats in the U.S. Congress have opened an inquiry into reports that a Russian oligarch provided financial support for the wedding celebrations of President Donald Trump’s son earlier this year. The investigation follows a ProPublica report that identified Umar Kremlev, a wealthy Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), as the source of the funding.

According to the report, Kremlev paid for lavish wedding festivities held in the Bahamas in May, covering two after‑party events. The payments are said to total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kremlev is described as having close ties to the Russian government and to President Vladimir Putin.

Representative Robert Garcia, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, posted on social media questioning why a Russian oligarch and friend of Putin would financially support the president’s son and what Kremlev might expect in return. Garcia is expected to chair the committee’s panel if Democrats gain a majority in the House after the November midterm elections.

A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr. declined to comment on the matter. His wife, Bettina Trump, posted on Instagram that Kremlev was a friend who offered an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift,” emphasizing that he funded only the two after‑parties and not the wedding ceremony itself.

Requests for comment from Kremlev and the International Boxing Association were not answered as of the date of the inquiry. The congressional probe adds to ongoing scrutiny of foreign financial influences linked to members of the Trump family.