Trump Jr. Defends Six-Figure Wedding Funding by Umar Kremlev
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 15
Trump Jr. Defends Six-Figure Wedding Funding by Umar Kremlev
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 15
Summary
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump said Russian billionaire Umar Kremlev paid only for two nights of post-wedding celebrations, not their private May ceremony in the Caribbean.
About 50 guests attended the ceremony, and Bettina Trump said the couple were surrounded only by family at the wedding itself, calling criticism and conspiracy claims "fake news."
ProPublica reported that Kremlev heavily bankrolled the events and attended them; a Trump Jr. spokesperson did not dispute the payments, describing him instead as a personal friend.
Frank Montoya Jr., a retired FBI official, told ProPublica that Russian oligarchs typically act in coordination with the Kremlin, arguing such a gift should be unthinkable for a president's son.
Kremlev has ties to Vladimir Putin, has faced accusations of trying to influence U.S. elections, and was recently seen in China with a Putin delegation.