GOP senator: Russian oligarch funding Trump Jr.’s party is ‘corruption’

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) on Friday ripped President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. for letting a Russian oligarch with ties to the Kremlin pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to finance his wedding after-party in the Bahamas this year.

Curtis called the generous gift “corruption” and pledged to say more about it in coming days.

“A Russian oligarch paid for a lavish wedding after-party for Donald Trump Jr., which to me just stinks. It’s corruption, I don’t like it,” Curtis said in a video summary of the week’s events posted on social media.

“You’ll hear more from me later on. This is a big deal,” he continued.

Curtis touched on the subject as one of the “lows” of the week.

ProPublica broke the story Sunday, reporting that Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, the president of the International Boxing Association, paid to rent one of two private islands where Trump Jr. and his new wife, Bettina Trump, held the three-day lavish party.

Kremlev paid for the pricey fireworks show and other expenses, according to ProPublica.

Bettina Trump confirmed in a social media post that the couple’s “dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations” but emphasized it was “AFTER” the wedding itself, which was a private ceremony at which only family attended.

President Trump said Friday that his son paid back Kremlev for the wedding expenses and dismissed a question about whether it was appropriate to accept in the first place.

“Well, it’s totally allowed, and a lot of people have parties and all, but it’s totally allowed,” the president said. “But as I understand it, he paid him back. He didn’t want to have that, so I hear he paid him back.”

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) criticized the arrangement earlier this week, calling it “beyond bad.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), however, declined to criticize Trump Jr. when asked about it Thursday, telling reporters he needed more information.

“I don’t know all the particulars on that. I’ve seen — or heard, I should say — some of the reporting around that. I just don’t know enough about it,” Thune said.