Russian Tycoon Says Trump Jr. Repaid Wedding Costs

Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, said at an Oct. 6 Istanbul press conference that Donald Trump Jr. repaid hundreds of thousands of dollars Kremlev spent on celebrations after Trump Jr. married Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May. ProPublica reported in September that Kremlev paid to rent one of two private islands for the three-day events. Asked if he was repaid, Kremlev said yes, he did repay the money spent on the present. Kremlev said he did not understand why, comparing it to inviting friends to a country house and calling a later invoice ridiculous; he called it a shared event people blew out of proportion and said they are just friends. President Donald Trump, who did not attend, had said the arrangement was totally allowed and the money would be repaid. Bettina Trump wrote on Instagram that Kremlev was a dear friend who generously hosted two nights after the private ceremony. Sen. John Curtis asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate and subpoena Trump Jr. Kremlev, recently given Russia's Order of Friendship by Putin, dismissed political meaning. Contested: whether the spending carried influence weight; Kremlev and the couple called it friendship, Curtis sought inquiry. Trump Jr.'s 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian attorney is noted as prior scrutiny.