WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Friday spoke out about his son’s recent wedding celebration that was partly funded by a Russian oligarch, stating he had been informed the money would be reimbursed.
“It’s totally allowed. And a lot of people have parties and all,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, before adding, “But, as I understand it, he paid them back.” He also said, “I hear he paid them back” without going into details.
Pro Publica initially reported this week that Umar Kremlev, who has close connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin, assisted in covering costs for renting a private island and organizing a fireworks display when Donald Trump Jr. and socialite Bettina Anderson got married in the Bahamas in May.
In a follow-up post on her Instagram page signed by the couple, Bettina Trump mentioned that Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, was a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.”
In her post, Bettina Trump stated she and the president’s son tied the knot in an intimate ceremony “surrounded ONLY by our family.”
Despite not attending the wedding himself due to being busy at that time, the president defended Kremlev’s role as part of the celebrations. Without providing specifics he remarked about his son, “a person that he knows – I guess a friend of his – gave him a wedding party.”
“That’s very common,” Trump noted while also implying there wasn’t any background check conducted for these types of gifts.
“With all of that being said, I understand that Don’s paying him back,” Trump added.
The president also revealed for the first time that he had previously learned about Kremlev’s involvement saying of his son, “I asked about it.”
“He said, ‘No, I’m paying him back, Dad,’” Trump recalled from their earlier conversation which took place “a while ago.”
“So I heard he’s paying him,” Trump concluded.
Pro Publica indicated that Kremlev significantly financed the wedding expenses including covering hundreds of thousands of dollars for renting one of two private islands where the three-day celebration occurred.
This gesture came amidst Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine following its invasion over four years ago while Trump has not succeeded in facilitating a promised peace deal between both nations.
Kremlev was recently awarded the Order of Friendship by Putin according to information from the International Boxing Association. He also accompanied Putin to China as part of a Russian delegation based on reports from Chinese state media cited by Pro Publica.
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