Trump says his son, Donald Jr, will repay Russian oligarch for wedding party

US President Donald Trump said his son, Donald Trump Jr, told him he was repaying a Russian oligarch for a wedding party, seeking to tamp down on an incident that has spurred fresh ethical questions.“I asked about it. He said, ‘No, I’m paying him back, Dad,’ so, and that was a while ago, so I heard he’s paying him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the controversy on Sept 18. “I understand that Don’s paid him back,” he said at one point.Trump sought to downplay the matter, casting the oligarch as a friend of his son’s and saying it was common for those who know a bride or groom to pay for a wedding party.“A person that he knows, I guess a friend of his, gave him a wedding party. That’s very common. I’ve heard of many people giving wedding parties,” Trump said. A person familiar with the matter also said the president’s son had made a repayment, though the total sum and timing are not clear. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the transaction.The president’s daughter-in-law, Bettina Trump, said in an Instagram post earlier this week that the couple had a private marriage ceremony in May, which was followed by a celebration the following weekend in the Bahamas. The second event was hosted by Umar Kremlev, Bettina Trump said.ProPublica reported this week that Kremlev bankrolled the Bahamas celebration, shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent a private island and put on a fireworks show, among other expenses.Kremlev is a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin and has been personally sanctioned by Ukraine over those connections.Russia's President Vladimir Putin (left) and International Boxing Assosiation president Umar Kremlev are seen touring a newly opened boxing facility in Moscow on Sept 10, 2022. PHOTO: AFPThe top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is probing Kremlev’s role in funding the celebrations.The wedding party is one of only a number of ethical flashpoints during Trump’s second term as the president’s family has continued to pursue business ventures. Trump has also at times mixed his official and personal duties, drawing scrutiny. Last weekend, he attended the Amgen Irish Open at one of his family’s golf resorts in Ireland. BLOOMBERG