Trump says son reimbursed Russian oligarch who funded wedding celebrations

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 18 that his son, Donald Trump Jr., told him he would reimburse Russian businessman Umar Kremlev after Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward celebrations surrounding Trump Jr.'s wedding earlier this year.

"When I heard the story, I asked him, and he said, 'I'm paying him back, Dad,' and that was a while ago," Trump told reporters. "With all of that being said, I understand that Don's paid him back."

The comments came days after investigative outlet ProPublica reported that Kremlev, a Russian businessman with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses connected to Trump Jr.'s wedding celebrations in the Bahamas in May. The reported expenses included renting a private island where guests stayed and a reception was held, as well as a fireworks display.

Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Trump, subsequently acknowledged Kremlev's role in the celebrations. In a statement posted to Instagram, they said Kremlev, whom they described as a friend, had hosted two nights of festivities after their private wedding as a gift. They rejected suggestions that the arrangement had a political motive.

Kremlev has headed the International Boxing Association (IBA) since 2020 and has developed close ties with the Kremlin. Putin awarded him Russia's Order of Friendship earlier this year, and Kremlev traveled to China as part of a Russian business delegation during a visit by Putin shortly before the wedding celebrations.

Under Kremlev, the IBA received major financial backing from Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, which became the organization's general partner in 2021. The sponsorship agreement expired at the end of 2022.

The International Olympic Committee withdrew its recognition of the IBA in 2023 after years of disputes over the organization's governance, finances, and sporting integrity.

Ukraine has also imposed sanctions on Kremlev. Ukrainian authorities have targeted a number of Russian figures over their support for Moscow and links to the Russian state since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The revelations have also prompted scrutiny in Congress. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, opened an investigation into Trump Jr.'s relationship with Kremlev and requested records related to the payments, saying they raised national security and public corruption concerns.

After the ProPublica report was published, Trump said in a White House statement that he had "no idea who Umar is" and had "never heard of him."