In an apparent show of bipartisanship, a Republican senator has called for the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden.
Utah Sen. John Curtis made the request Monday, saying both men — the sons of the current and former president — should answer questions about whether they used their family ties to turn a profit.
“For years, serious questions have been raised about members of presidential families using their names and proximity to the President to advance private business interests,” Curtis wrote in a letter to the committee. He asked that an investigation be launched into “the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.”
As an example of potential malfeasance, the senator pointed to Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding party in the Bahamas, which, it was recently revealed, was bankrolled by a Russian oligarch linked to President Vladimir Putin.
“A toaster is a wedding gift,” Curtis wrote. “A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else. Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now. ‘Trust us’ was not enough then, and it is not enough now.”
Curtis’s letter comes as public concern over government corruption has reached new heights: a record-high 89 percent of Americans now say corruption is widespread in the U.S. government, according to Gallup’s September survey.
Last week, ProPublica reported that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on expenses incurred at Donald Trump Jr.’s multi-day party on a pair of private islands in May to celebrate his marriage to socialite Bettina Anderson. Kremlev, the head of the International Boxing Association, has close ties to Putin. He reportedly traveled to China with the Russian president shortly before the Bahamas wedding.
The report triggered outcry from Democrats, including from California Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
“It’s baffling that the son of a President would even think about allowing a Russian oligarch to bankroll his wedding,” Garcia said in a statement. “Oversight Democrats are investigating and demanding answers immediately.”
Anderson, however, insisted on social media that there was “NO CONSPIRACY,” adding that “friendship doesn't require a political motive.”
“Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding,” Anderson wrote. “It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful."
President Trump, who did not attend his son’s wedding, told reporters on Friday that Kremlev’s gift was “totally allowed.” But he added that Donald Trump Jr. would be paying Kremlev back.
The conspicuous gift to the president’s eldest son was just one of several red flags, Curtis wrote in his letter.
“These concerns are compounded by Donald Trump Jr.’s active promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state and his reported investments in defense contracting,” the Utah Republican wrote.
He also turned his attention to Hunter Biden, long a target for GOP-backed investigations.
“The son of former President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, conducted substantial business with foreign entities, including interests in China and Ukraine, while his father held or sought public office,” Curtis wrote. “Congressional testimony has produced conflicting accounts about the extent to which his father’s name, presence, or political stature played a role in those relationships.”
Congressional Republicans investigated the Biden family for more than a year, obtaining thousands of pages of documents and conducting dozens of interviews. Hunter Biden told lawmakers he did not involve his father in his business ventures.
In 2024, Hunter Biden, a recovering crack cocaine addict, was found guilty on three felony counts related to a gun purchase. While awaiting sentencing, Joe Biden granted him a sweeping pardon, which he later admitted was “not good” for his father’s reputation.
Since his father left office, Hunter Biden has repeatedly attacked the Trump administration, accusing it of brazen corruption.
In July, he argued on social media that, despite years of investigations, Republicans “found nothing” on him. By contrast, he said, “the Trumps have made King George look like an amateur,” pointing to their billions in earnings, including from crypto ventures and real estate deals.
In response to the post, a White House spokesperson told The Independent: “President Trump’s children are extremely successful business leaders in their own right, running multi-billion-dollar corporations.”
