California Rep. Ted Lieu is calling for answers after reports revealed that a Russian businessman close to Vladimir Putin helped pay for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.
Lieu called the arrangement “very, very scandalous” and tied it to longstanding concerns about Russian influence in American politics. Donald Trump Jr. and his wife have confirmed that Umar Kremlev funded two nights of celebrations, describing him as a “dear friend” whose contribution was a generous wedding gift.
ProPublica reported that Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the celebrations, including renting a private island and paying for a fireworks display. The payments reportedly came through an entity affiliated with the International Boxing Association, which Kremlev heads.
Lieu also pointed to the 2016 election, saying Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort “colluded with the Russians” and shared campaign information with them. “Colluded” is Lieu’s characterization; investigations established that Manafort shared internal campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the Senate Intelligence Committee identified as a Russian intelligence officer.
Lieu isn’t ...