Grassley doesn’t rule out investigating Don Jr.’s Russian-funded wedding party
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) declined to rule out Tuesday that his panel may launch an investigation into President Donald Trump’s son for having parts of his wedding funded by a Russian oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The revelation came in response to an unusual written request from a fellow Republican, Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), that the committee dig into “the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.”
At least two outgoing GOP senators and members of the panel, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), also endorsed such an inquiry. Curtis does not sit on the committee.
“Any individual senator, including Sen. Curtis himself, has power of oversight. It doesn’t necessarily have to be done before committee,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday. “But I’m going to take his request seriously and sit down with staff and see what we can do.”
Trump has said his son, Donald Trump Jr., reimbursed Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he reportedly paid for the wedding after-party on a private Bahamas island in May. Trump Jr.’s wife, Bettina Anderson, said the lavish event was an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend.” Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing Association.
Curtis wrote to Grassley that Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden’s son, should both be subpoenaed to testify about their business dealings that may have been bolstered because of their fathers and access to foreign powers.
“Americans deserve confidence that public institutions serve them — not presidents, political parties, wealthy interests, or members of powerful families,” Curtis wrote. “Congress has an obligation to pursue credible concerns wherever they lead and without regard to party.”
However, Grassley’s openness to an investigation came with a large asterisk. He tempered expectations that the panel would make much progress with the limited working days left in the current Congress that ends in early January. The Senate could depart as early as the end of this week until after the Nov. 3 elections to give members more time to campaign. He suggested that no substantive action would be taken before the midterm elections.
“You know my thoroughness and my credibility in investigations and hearings. They take a lot of work to get ready for them,” Grassley said. “If you were going to ask me when you’re going to have a hearing, there’s no way I could answer that today.”
But in a clear sign of at least a modest appetite within the conference for such an investigation, Cornyn backed Curtis’s request while Tillis stopped short of saying Grassley should issue subpoenas. Rather, he urged Trump Jr. to voluntarily disclose more information about the wedding party’s funding. And Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), another retiring member who does not sit on the Judiciary Committee, has called for proof Trump Jr. reimbursed Kremlev.
“It’s just colossally bad judgment at best,” Tillis said of Kremlev’s involvement. “If I were Donald Trump Jr., I’d be offering this up immediately. Just lay it out there. How on earth did this happen? Because on its face, it looks pretty dumb. Maybe there’s some sort of context that explains it, but he should be proactive.”
Grassley declined to comment on the optics, including whether he agreed with Curtis’s assessment that the gift could amount to corruption.
“It ought to be unclear because you just don’t get a letter on Friday and say, ‘Yes, I’m going to have a hearing,’” Grassley added.
WIFE OF DON JR. DISPUTES REPORT OF RUSSIAN OLIGARCH FUNDING THEIR WEDDING
Hunter Biden said he was willing to testify voluntarily as soon as “tomorrow.”
“I say bring it on. I’ve already given more than seven hours of sworn testimony. More than three dozen witnesses testified across two chambers,” Hunter Biden posted to social media, referencing past GOP investigations into him and his father. “I had no foreign business dealings while my father was president. None. I painted paintings, and I still do. I’ll sit next to Don Jr. and testify any time, any place. Eric and Jared can join us too. No need for a subpoena. Let’s all do it tomorrow.”
