Russian Oligarch Bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.'s Wedding

Donald Trump Jr.'s fairy-tale island wedding in the Bahamas had a powerful and little-known patron, ProPublica reports: Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin. The investigative outlet found that Kremlev, who leads the International Boxing Association, covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs—including renting a private island, guest lodging, and a barge-launched fireworks show—via a Dubai-based entity tied to the IBA. The guest list of about 50 included Jared Kushner and Eric Trump, as well as a sizable Russian contingent that puzzled some attendees.

National security experts quoted in the piece say the arrangement raises red-flag questions about influence and access, given Kremlev's ties to the Kremlin, Ukrainian sanctions against him, and his organization's opaque funding. "This should be unthinkable for the son of the president," says Frank Montoya Jr., a retired FBI official who worked in counterintelligence. "End of story." Trump Jr.'s spokesman calls Kremlev a personal friend, not a business partner, and Kremlev's office says he never discusses politics with his American contacts. The men appear to have met only a few years ago. Read the full story by Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski.