Washington — Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden over their business activities, foreign connections and gifts they have received. His request follows new reporting about a Russian oligarch’s financial involvement in the wedding celebrations of President Trump’s eldest son.
“A toaster is a wedding gift. A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else,” Curtis said in a post on X. “Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now.”
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and ranking member Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, Curtis urged the panel to “launch an investigation into the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.” He said the inquiry should include subpoenas for both Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden.
Curtis cited Hunter Biden’s “substantial business” dealings with foreign entities, including companies and interests in China and Ukraine, during periods when his father was either president or campaigning for office. He also pointed to more recent questions surrounding Trump Jr.’s relationships with foreign business leaders and his receipt of “significant gifts.”
Among those gifts, Curtis wrote, was a lavish wedding afterparty on a private island that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev reportedly provided. Kremlev had traveled to China with a delegation accompanying Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before the gift was given, according to the senator.
Last week, ProPublica reported that Trump Jr.’s Bahamas wedding had been secretly financed by Kremlev, whom the outlet described as being close to Putin. Bettina Anderson, Trump Jr.’s wife, later confirmed on Instagram that Kremlev hosted part of their May post-wedding celebration on a private island, calling it “an extraordinarily generous wedding gift.”
The Utah Republican has decried the gift from a Russian oligarch, saying on social media last week that “it just stinks — it’s corruption.” He called it a “big deal” and gave a video preview of his plan to call for congressional action.
Curtis said the report, along with Trump Jr.’s promotion of the family’s cryptocurrency ventures, efforts to pursue international real estate deals and connections to prediction-market platforms, raises “legitimate questions about foreign access to members of a sitting president’s family.” He also questioned whether such ties could create real or perceived expectations of favorable treatment.
Such relationships, Curtis warned, could also generate expectations of reciprocal favors that conflict with the interests of Americans and U.S. allies. In some cases, he said, they could expose the country to national security vulnerabilities.
The senator said the investigation’s goals should be clear: establish the facts, determine whether ethics, disclosure or anti-corruption laws apply, and recommend reforms to ensure the presidency cannot be used as a vehicle for private enrichment by relatives and associates.
“Americans deserve confidence that public institutions serve them — not presidents, political parties, wealthy interests, or members of powerful families,” Curtis wrote. He added that Congress must examine credible concerns wherever they lead, regardless of political affiliation.
