US Attorney General does not plan to investigate Russian oligarch's gift to Trump's son
US Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that the Department of Justice is unlikely to launch an investigation into Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who paid for part of the wedding celebrations of Donald Trump Jr. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House of Representatives have already begun their own review of this story.
ABC News reports Blanche's position. During a White House briefing, he was asked whether US law enforcement agencies were investigating possible risks associated with an expensive gift to a member of the presidential family.
,- Blanche replied."The President does not know who this person is. I think other family members also do not know who it is... When you ask whether I am investigating – what exactly should I investigate?"
He added that he has no information about Kremlev and cannot confirm claims about his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Trump Jr. himself called Kremlev a friend, and his wife confirmed that the Russian businessman paid for two nights of celebrations as a wedding gift.
A separate review has already begun in Congress
The position of the Department of Justice differs from the actions of Democrats in Congress. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has launched an investigation into Trump Jr.'s financial ties to Kremlev.
He has requested documents and correspondence from the president's son and the White House regarding the Russian businessman, information about funding for celebrations, gifts, the guest list, and possible warnings from US intelligence agencies about Kremlev. Garcia is also demanding that all relevant documents be preserved in case of further investigation.
Since Democrats are currently in the minority in the House of Representatives, Garcia cannot compel the White House or Trump Jr. to provide the requested materials on his own.
FBI has also not announced an investigation so far
FBI Director Kash Patel was separately asked about this story during a Senate hearing. He said he had not read the ProPublica investigation but added that the FBI would analyze any information that comes to the bureau. He did not announce the opening of a separate investigation.
The story began after ProPublica's publication. According to the outlet, Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on part of the wedding celebrations of Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina, including renting a private island in the Bahamas. Payments, as the outlet found, were made through a structure associated with the International Boxing Association, headed by Kremlev.
After the publication, the couple confirmed that Kremlev financed two nights of celebrations. They called it an extremely generous wedding gift from a friend and rejected suggestions of political motives.
Donald Trump himself said he had never heard of Kremlev and was not familiar with him. The President also stressed that the Russian businessman paid not for the ceremony itself, but for separate celebrations in honor of the newlyweds.
Thus, as of September 16, the story remains under review by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, while the Department of Justice and the FBI have not announced their own investigations.
Based on materials from: ABC News, Axios, ProPublica
