US President Donald Trump said Friday that his son, Donald Trump Jr., intends to repay Russian businessman Umar Kremlev for covering expenses related to wedding celebrations held in the Bahamas earlier this year, according to reports.
Trump's remarks followed scrutiny by congressional Democrats over reports that Kremlev, who heads the International Boxing Association, covered expenses running into hundreds of thousands of dollars for celebrations surrounding Trump Jr.'s May wedding.
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Reuters reported that ProPublica, which first disclosed Kremlev's involvement, has described him as having close ties to the Russian government.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he had asked his son about the reports and was told that he intended to repay Kremlev.
Trump said he understood that the repayment process had already begun.
A person familiar with the matter separately confirmed that Trump Jr. planned to reimburse Kremlev.
Kremlev and the IBA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump, who did not attend his son's wedding, had earlier said he did not know Kremlev and dismissed the controversy as “not a big deal.”
He also said he had hosted wedding parties for “numerous people” at venues including his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.
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Trump Jr.'s wife, Bettina Trump, said in an Instagram post that Kremlev was a friend who had given an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift.”
She clarified that Kremlev had paid for two after-parties rather than the wedding itself.
The reported reimbursement follows scrutiny by congressional Democrats over the payments and Kremlev's involvement in the celebrations.
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