Curtis calls the arrangement corruption and asks the Judiciary Committee to subpoena Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden
John CurtisU.S. Senator for Utah, in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee and on X
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dick Durbin asking the committee to investigate "the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit" and to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden. On X, he wrote that "a private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch" is not an ordinary wedding gift, and that "the country should not have to accept one standard" for a Republican president's family "and another" for a Democratic president's.
Responding to
The Kremlev-funded celebration, alongside Donald Trump Jr.'s business ties to foreign figures, raises legitimate questions about foreign access to a sitting president's family and possible expectations of a returned favor that could create national security vulnerabilities, warranting a congressional investigation and subpoenas of both Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden.
“A toaster is a wedding gift. 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. The country should not have to accept one standard for the family of a Republican president and another for the family of a Democratic president. Nor should congressional oversight begin and end when control of the White House changes hands.”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should the Senate Judiciary Committee Subpoena Donald Trump Jr. Over His Kremlev-Funded Wedding Celebration?
Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association and a Putin ally sanctioned by Ukraine, helped fund a private-island celebration for Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump's May 2026 wedding, including a fireworks show, ProPublica reported in September 2026. Bettina Trump acknowledged the arrangement on Instagram, calling Kremlev a "dear friend." The same day, President Trump told NBC News he had "no idea who Umar is, never heard of him," and called it "not a big deal." Four days later, in the Oval Office, Trump instead defended the arrangement as "totally allowed" and said he understood Kremlev had been repaid. On September 21, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) wrote the Senate Judiciary Committee asking it to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, arguing the episode and Hunter Biden's past foreign business dealings both raise questions about "the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit." The Judiciary Committee had not committed to acting as of this writing.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Curtis's letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dick Durbin, requesting an investigation and subpoenas of both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden. CBS News and NY Post reproduce its text.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
CBS News' report of Sen. John Curtis's September 21, 2026 letter and accompanying X post. It quotes the letter's description of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings and its stated purpose of establishing facts and identifying reforms.
Before the quotation
Curtis had separately called the arrangement "corruption" in social media remarks over the preceding weekend: "Another low, a Russian oligarch paid for a lavish wedding after-party for Donald Trump Jr., which to me just stinks. It's corruption, I don't like it."
After the quotation
A spokesperson for Judiciary Committee Republicans confirmed Grassley received the letter but could not commit to investigating, citing a limited hearing calendar through the end of 2026.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Curtis directly characterizes the arrangement as corruption ("which to me just stinks. It's corruption, I don't like it.") and formally requests a congressional subpoena and investigation, a clear denunciation of the episode and a call for accountability.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseTrump Jr.'s spokesperson calls the Kremlev tie a personal friendship
“Don has made clear that he has a personal friendship, not a business relationship, with Umar. Their friendship is largely based on their shared love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they went hunting together earlier this year”Read statement
Emmer calls the proposed Trump Jr. inquiry a partisan distraction
“This partisan distraction is NOT what the American people voted for!”Read statement
Jim Banks opposes a Senate inquiry into Trump Jr. over the wedding celebration
“Don Jr. is a businessman, not an administration official. There is no evidence he sold access to the presidency. That is the difference between him and Hunter Biden and it is not a small one. The Senate should investigate actual crimes, not manufacture fake ones.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Curtis calls the arrangement corruption and asks the Judiciary Committee to subpoena Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/1446-sen-john-curtis-r-utah-wrote-to-senate
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Curtis calls the arrangement corruption and asks the Judiciary Committee to subpoena Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1446-sen-john-curtis-r-utah-wrote-to-senate