This week, ProPublica revealed that a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding festivities. The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the event.
Kremlev’s previously unreported relationship with Trump Jr. represents an extraordinary development: a member of Putin’s circle financially supporting the president’s son and gaining intimate access to the Trump family. For a decade, Putin’s government has been accused of efforts to influence American elections. National security experts expressed alarm at Trump Jr. accepting the oligarch’s largesse, saying it raised an urgent question: What motivated Kremlev to spend a fortune cultivating the connection?
In response to detailed questions, a spokesperson for Trump Jr. wrote that “Umar is a personal friend of Don.” The spokesperson said that Kremlev is “not someone he has a business relationship with” and that the men met through a mutual friend in the hunting world and bonded over their love of boxing and the outdoors. After the story was published, the couple confirmed Kremlev’s role: “Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us” that were separate from the wedding ceremony, they said in a statement published on Bettina Trump’s Instagram account.
In a statement, Kremlev’s press office said, “Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship” and they first met “a couple of years ago.” The press office added, “Mr. Kremlev has never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances,” including Trump Jr.
Join ProPublica reporters Brett Murphy and Justin Elliott for a conversation led by assistant managing editor Jesse Eisinger to learn how the investigation came together. Submit your questions when you register below.
Important update: Within hours of our investigation’s publication, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee opened an investigation into Donald Trump Jr.’s relationship with Umar Kremlev.
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