Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) declined to rule out Tuesday that his panel may launch an investigation into President Donald Trump’s son for having parts of his wedding funded by a Russian oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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parts → decline → Putin
The revelation came in response to an unusual written request from a fellow Republican, Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), that the committee dig into “the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.”
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committee → come → interests
At least two outgoing GOP senators and members of the panel, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), also endorsed such an inquiry.
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senators → endorse → inquiry
Curtis does not sit on the committee.
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Curtis → sit → committee
“Any individual senator, including Sen. Curtis himself, has power of oversight.
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senator → include → oversight
It doesn’t necessarily have to be done before committee,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday.
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Grassley → have → reporters
“But I’m going to take his request seriously and sit down with staff and see what we can do.”
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we → go → what
Trump has said his son, Donald Trump Jr., reimbursed Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he reportedly paid for the wedding after-party on a private Bahamas island in May.
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he → say → May
Trump Jr.’s wife, Bettina Anderson, said the lavish event was an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend.”
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event → say → friend
Curtis wrote to Grassley that Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, former President Joe Biden’s son, should both be subpoenaed to testify about their business dealings that may have been bolstered because of their fathers and access to foreign powers.
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that → write → powers
“Americans deserve confidence that public institutions serve them — not presidents, political parties, wealthy interests, or members of powerful families,” Curtis wrote.
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Curtis → deserve → families
“Congress has an obligation to pursue credible concerns wherever they lead and without regard to party.”
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they → have → party
However, Grassley’s openness to an investigation came with a large asterisk.
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openness → come → asterisk
He tempered expectations that the panel would make much progress with the limited working days left in the current Congress that ends in early January.
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that → temper → January
The Senate could depart as early as the end of this week until after the Nov. 3 elections to give members more time to campaign.
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Senate → depart → time
He suggested that no substantive action would be taken before the midterm elections.
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action → suggest → elections
“You know my thoroughness and my credibility in investigations and hearings.
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You → know → investigations
They take a lot of work to get ready for them,” Grassley said.
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Grassley → take → them
“If you were going to ask me when you’re going to have a hearing, there’s no way I could answer that today.
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I → go → that
But in a clear sign of at least a modest appetite within the conference for such an investigation, Cornyn backed Curtis’s request while Tillis stopped short of saying Grassley should issue subpoenas.
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Grassley → back → subpoenas
Rather, he urged Trump Jr. to voluntarily disclose more information about the wedding party’s funding.
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he → urge → funding
And Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), another retiring member who does not sit on the Judiciary Committee, has called for proof Trump Jr. reimbursed Kremlev.
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Jr. → retire → Kremlev
“It’s just colossally bad judgment at best,” Tillis said of Kremlev’s involvement.
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Tillis → ’ → involvement
“If I were Donald Trump Jr., I’d be offering this up immediately.
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I → offer → this
How on earth did this happen?
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this → happen → earth
Because on its face, it looks pretty dumb.
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it → look → face
Maybe there’s some sort of context that explains it, but he should be proactive.”
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he → ’ → it
Grassley declined to comment on the optics, including whether he agreed with Curtis’s assessment that the gift could amount to corruption.
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gift → decline → corruption
“It ought to be unclear because you just don’t get a letter on Friday and say, ‘Yes, I’m going to have a hearing,’” Grassley added.
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Grassley → get → hearing
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