Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife have have confirmed that a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin helped pay for part of their wedding celebrations.
On Monday, ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on celebrations surrounding Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas in May.
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Trump Jr.’s wife, Bettina Trump, confirmed in an Instagram post, writing, “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.”
She pushed back on suggestions that the gift had a political motive, writing, “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive.”
ProPublica report
According to ProPublica, Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the wedding weekend, including renting one of the two private islands used for the three-day celebration and paying for a fireworks show..
ProPublica reported that the payments came through an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing association uses for financial transactions..
A spokesperson for Trump Jr. did not dispute the payments but said Kremlev is a personal friend and that the two do not have a business relationship.
The couple drew a distinction between their wedding ceremony — a private event with family — and the larger weekend celebration with friends, which they said had already been planned.
“When our original wedding plans changed, we simply decided to get married before it and arrived at an already planned weekend as newlyweds,” Bettina wrote on Instagram.
Kremlev’s ties to Putin
ProPublica also detailed Kremlev’s ties to Putin and the Russian government..
Last month, Putin awarded Kremlev one of Russia’s state honors, the Order of Friendship.
Days before the wedding, Kremlev was also in China, where Chinese state media identified him as part of a delegation accompanying Putin. Kremlev’s office told ProPublica he was not part of Putin’s official delegation.
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