Blumenthal says there is a real duty to investigate corruption like the Trump Jr. wedding gift
Richard BlumenthalU.S. Senator (D-Conn.) and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, as quoted by Roll Call, that "we have a real duty to investigate" what he called blatant corruption dangerous to national security, like the Trump Jr. wedding gift.
“We have a real duty to investigate all of this just absolutely blatant corruption that’s so dangerous to our national security, like the Trump Jr. wedding gift.”
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
Reporting
About this source
Roll Call report on Sen. John Curtis's letter asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the Trump Jr. wedding celebration and to subpoena Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, with reactions from other senators.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee's chairman and ranking member that week urging an investigation and subpoenas for Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden. Roll Call reported that Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association, paid for the multiday Bahamas celebrations for Trump Jr. It also quoted President Trump as saying he had heard Kremlev was paid back.
After the quotation
Roll Call also reported that Sen. Thom Tillis said an investigation was up to Chairman Chuck Grassley and that he would not oppose it, while Sen. Bernie Moreno wrote on X that subpoenas of presidential family members must pass a high bar.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case's reference point is the Kremlev-funded celebration for Donald Trump Jr. and whether the Senate Judiciary Committee should investigate it. Blumenthal, a Judiciary Committee member, calls corruption like the Trump Jr. wedding gift blatant and dangerous to national security and says there is a real duty to investigate it. That expressly criticizes the conduct under scrutiny and backs an inquiry, so we labeled it Condemned.
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- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump Jr.
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
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The Dispute Index. "Blumenthal says there is a real duty to investigate corruption like the Trump Jr. wedding gift". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2791-sen-richard-blumenthal-d-conn-a-member-of