Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Trump say Putin ally paid for some wedding festivities as a 'gift'

Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Trump say Putin ally paid for some wedding festivities as a 'gift' Donald Trump Jr.'s wife, Bettina Trump, confirmed that their May wedding was paid for in part by a state linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A post attributed to the couple on Instagram said that two nights of their three‑day wedding celebration held on a private island in the Bahamas were partially financed by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin. The statement was released on Monday after investigative outlet ProPublica published a report indicating that Kremlev paid "hundreds of thousands of dollars" for the festivities. Donald Trump Jr., one of the U.S. president's sons, is a private citizen, meaning it is not illegal for him to accept gifts from a foreign national. In the Instagram message the couple wrote: "Our beloved person Umar precise generously hosted 2 unthinkable nights of celebrations for america AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding acquisition from a friend, and thing for which we were and stay incredibly grateful," Ethics watchdogs argued that accepting such lavish presents creates a conflict of interest for the president’s son, even though he is not a government employee. Jordan Libowitz, vice president of communications for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said: "People don't conscionable springiness hundreds of thousands of dollars to a random acquaintance without wanting something," He added: "You tin spot however [Putin] would bask each this property astir however radical successful his ellipse are cozying up to radical successful the president's circle." According to the ProPublica article, the couple was married on a secluded Bahamas island before holding a two‑day celebration on another island that rents for about $100,000 per night. Kremlev also covered roughly $70,000 for a fireworks display. Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association (IBA), an organization financed by the state‑owned energy firm Gazprom. The Olympic Committee suspended the IBA due to its failure to disclose ties to the Russian energy giant. Earlier this year Kremlev was part of a delegation that accompanied Putin to China, and the Russian leader awarded him the Order of Friendship, a high‑level state honor, ProPublica noted. A spokesperson for Trump Jr. told the news outlet that the president’s son and Kremlev are personal friends and have "no business relationship." The spokesperson added: "the president's lad and Kremlev were idiosyncratic friends and did not person 'a concern relationship.'" An aide to Trump Jr. directed the BBC to the couple’s Instagram statement. In a reply to ProPublica, Kremlev’s office said: "Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr person a affable relationship." The note said the men first met several years ago. Kremlev attended part of the wedding. Other guests included Ivanka Trump, one of the president’s daughters, and her husband Jared Kushner, who has participated in U.S. diplomatic talks with Iran, Russia and the Middle East. The Trump campaign and family have faced scrutiny over alleged links to Russia during the 2016 presidential election, which prompted a special counsel investigation. During that campaign Donald Trump Jr. arranged a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian operative that received intense scrutiny. Libowitz of CREW contended that either the president, who