Trump Jr.’s Wife Says Russian Paid For Parties But Not Wedding

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law said a Russian oligarch paid for "two incredible nights of celebration" in the Bahamas after her wedding to Donald Trump Jr. but was not involved in the actual nuptials, amid fresh ethics questions involving the first family.

The couple had a private marriage ceremony on a Friday in May, Bettina Trump wrote in an Instagram post, and then a celebration the following weekend in the Bahamas. That second event, which had been planned before the wedding date was finalized, was hosted by Umar Kremlev, Bettina Trump said. Kremlev is a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin.

"Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful," the post states.

ProPublica reported Monday morning that Kremlev bankrolled the Bahamas celebration, shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent a private island and put on a fireworks show, among other expenses.

While Kremlev may not have been involved directly in the wedding, paying for the two-day party with the president's eldest son and his associates only deepens questions about conflicts of interest with the Trump family.

Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association, which receives financing from Russian energy giant Gazprom, a company that is currently subject to extensive US financial sanctions.

He has been personally sanctioned by Ukraine over his ties to Putin; he accompanied the Russian president on a recent state visit to China. Kyiv has also penalized an organization linked to his family over allegations it played a role in a program involving the abduction of Ukrainian children, ProPublica reported.

The president and his sons have been scrutinized over the Trump Organization's decision to continue pursuing overseas business deals during Trump's second term, as well as the activities of crypto company World Liberty Financial, in which Trump Jr. and other family members hold large stakes. The president said in his latest annual financial disclosure that he earned at least $1.4 billion from crypto and memecoin-related businesses.