Republican Senators Criticize Trump Jr.'s Russian-Funded Wedding, Call for Investigation

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has slammed Donald Trump Jr.’s Caribbean wedding party, bankrolled by a Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin, as “stupid on stilts.”

He is one of a growing number of Republicans calling for an investigation into Trump Jr after Putin ally Umar Kremlev paid for celebrations when he married socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May.

Tillis, who is retiring when his term ends in January, told CNN’s State of the Union Sunday that he would leave it to the Judiciary Committee chairs to decide whether or not to subpoena the president’s son, before laying into the absurdity of the situation.

“Folks, this was stupid on stilts,” Tillis, of North Carolina, said. “You’d think somebody would’ve gotten a memo of a bad look.”

“To have a Russian oligarch who’s actually traveled in a delegation to Beijing fund some sort of island wedding for a very wealthy family that also happens to be related to the president? Come on, guys, this is amateur hour,” Tillis said.

The North Carolina senator noted the scandal unfolded “at a time when we need our pros on the field.”

“We got an election to win in 37 days. How this helps…I can’t imagine,” he said.

He added: “Maybe Don Jr. can give us a reasonable example why tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from an oligarch went into a wedding in some beach location, but boy, I’d sure like to see the rationale behind it. On its face, it doesn't look very smart.”

Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, helped pay for a private island and fireworks show during Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations, according to records reviewed by ProPublica.

On Instagram, Bettina Trump wrote that Kremlev was a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.”

President Donald Trump defended the wedding being partially bankrolled by the Russian oligarch, telling reporters on September 18: “It’s totally allowed.” He added that he believed his son was paying them back.

Within days, members of Trump’s own party were calling for an investigation into whether Trump Jr. used his proximity to his father for financial benefit regarding the wedding.

Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Trump Jr. over his business dealings, relationship with foreign entities and gifts or other benefits he has received as a result of being the president’s son.

Curtis, in a letter sent last week to the Senate Judiciary Committee last Tuesday, said Trump Jr. should face the same scrutiny that Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has, and suggested that both men should answer questions about whether they used their family connections to turn a profit.

“For years, serious questions have been raised about members of presidential families using their names and proximity to the President to advance private business interests,” Curtis wrote in a letter to the committee.

He asked that an investigation be launched into “the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.”

Two Republicans on the Judiciary panel, Tillis and Texas Senator John Cornyn, also said they would support an investigation. Tillis is retiring this year and Cornyn lost his seat in a primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed opponent.

Another Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said she was glad Curtis sent the letter.

“It doesn’t make any difference if you’re Republican or Democrat, if you’re Trump or you’re Biden,” she said.

With reporting by the Associated Press