Hi Reader,
A major investigation published early this morning, and I want to make sure you don’t miss this one:
ProPublica revealed that Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish wedding in the Bahamas was secretly bankrolled by a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin.
Time and again, ProPublica’s journalists have revealed stories like this one — stories that powerful people would rather stay hidden. And every single one of those stories is funded by readers like you. I hope you’ll agree that this was money well spent. Let me tell you more.
The oligarch in question, Umar Kremlev, footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of Trump Jr.’s wedding expenses, including paying for an elaborate fireworks display and renting a private island for the reception.
And who is Kremlev? He’s the head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), a scandal-plagued sports group that has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom. The Trump Jr. wedding payments came from an IBA-affiliated entity in Dubai that the boxing association uses for financial transactions. Kremlev appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the very intimate destination wedding with a guest list of around 50. It included Trump Jr.’s brother-in-law Jared Kushner, Eric Trump — and Kremlev. The oligarch was part of a large group whose presence puzzled other attendees. They sometimes stood off by themselves, speaking Russian.
This investigation is exactly the type of meticulously sourced story that only our reporters could tell, based on records and interviews with dozens of current and former IBA officials and contractors, wedding attendees, and other people in Trump Jr.’s and Kremlev’s circles. And it’s the kind of journalism that reader support makes possible.
The previously unreported relationship between Kremlev and Trump Jr. represents an extraordinary development: a member of Putin’s circle financially supporting the president’s son’s wedding and gaining intimate access to the Trump family. National security experts expressed alarm at Trump Jr. accepting the oligarch’s largesse.
“If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired career FBI official who held senior counterintelligence roles. Oligarchs like Kremlev often act in coordination with the Russian government. While it’s unclear if that happened here, Trump Jr. put himself in a precarious position, Montoya said. “This should be unthinkable for the son of the president. End of story.”
What motivated Kremlev to spend a fortune cultivating the connection? It’s not clear. But I encourage you to read the whole story to see what our reporters uncovered.
In response to detailed questions, a spokesperson for Trump Jr. did not dispute the wedding payments from Kremlev. “Umar is a personal friend of Don,” he said. The spokesperson said that Kremlev is “not someone he has a business relationship with.”
A spokesperson for Trump Jr.’s brother Eric said of Kremlev: “Eric has absolutely no clue who this person is, nor has never heard his name.”
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 described Kremlev as a businessman and philanthropist, adding, “Mr. Kremlev has never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances,” including Trump Jr. It said the boxing organization itself did not incur expenses for the wedding but did not comment on the payments from the Dubai entity.
Kushner, who has been helping lead the U.S. government’s negotiations with Russia over Ukraine, did not respond to requests for comment. The White House and the Russian government did not respond either.
After our story published, Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Trump, confirmed Kremlev’s role: “Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us,” they said in a statement. They also drew a distinction between the ceremony held on May 22, which was just family, and the rest of the wedding weekend. “It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” they added.
ProPublica has the independence and the resources to investigate those in power — from government officials to business leaders to Russian oligarchs — because we’re a nonprofit newsroom. We have no owners, no shareholders, no government funding, so that we can be fearless in the face of power and follow the facts wherever they lead. ProPublica exists because readers like you choose to fund it. Your donation ensures that the truth gets out, no matter who it challenges. Thank you for keeping investigative journalism strong, independent and accountable only to the facts.
Thanks so much,
Robin Sparkman
President, ProPublica