FBI Director Kash Patel took the ignorance approach when grilled over the president’s son’s wedding being sponsored by a Russian oligarch.
Patel was on the Hill for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee when Sen. Richard Blumenthal raised concerns over espionage after a bombshell report that a Vladimir Putin ally paid for and attended Don Jr.’s wedding weekend in the Bahamas.
“We learned yesterday, to the astonishment and shock of many Americans, that a Russian oligarch bankrolled the wedding of the president’s son with perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Blumenthal said. “I would like to know from you whether you have begun an investigation of potential intelligence compromises?”
The Connecticut senator pointed out that the oligarch Umar Kremlev, who Trump’s new daughter-in-law Bettina Trump called a “dear friend,” has ties to the Russian president and suggested the effort was to curry favor with the president’s family.
“I would like to know what steps you are taking to investigate,” Blumenthal said.
“I’m not sure what public reporting you are referring to,” Patel said. “The only thing I can tell you is that the counterespionage arrests by this FBI are up 53 percent, including from Russia.”
Patel went on to brag about arrest statistics and claimed the FBI would continue to “investigate.”
But Blumenthal was not satisfied with his response, pointing out that Kremlev sponsoring the wedding weekend had been widely reported.
ProPublica reported that the Russian paid for big-ticket items, including renting one of the private islands where guests slept, and the fireworks.
Bettina Trump responded to the report with a confirmation on Instagram that Kremlev paid for aspects of the lavish Bahamas weekend but not specifically for the intimate wedding ceremony.
“These reports were public. They’ve been widely publicized in the press, and it would seem to me that they should be a topic of investigation for the FBI. You have a counterintelligence mission,” Blumenthal pushed back.
Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), which ProPublica reported has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom, and the report said his close ties to the Russian government made him rich.
“I think there’s a potential for a compromise in intelligence, and also the possibility of improper influence,” Blumenthal said.
“As I’ve stated, we are fulfilling our counterintelligence and espionage mission greater than any FBI has ever done so,” Patel said, but Blumenthal cut him off to ask about probing the wedding sponsorship specifically.
“You’re referring to something that happened yesterday in public reporting, and public reporting generally is inaccurate,” Patel said. “We will look at whatever information comes our way, and analyze it.”
Blumenthal pointed out that the Trump family confirmed Kremlev’s involvement. Bettina Trump wrote in her Instagram post on Monday, calling it a “generous wedding gift.”
“I don’t track public reporting from yesterday for preparation in this hearing,” Patel snapped.
Blumenthal is not the only Democrat demanding an investigation.
House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia sent a letter to Donald Trump Jr. and the White House seeking answers on Tuesday as House members opened their own probe.
“It’s baffling that the son of a President would even think about allowing a Russian oligarch to bankroll his wedding. Is this why President Trump skipped his son’s wedding? Oversight Democrats are investigating and demanding answers immediately,” Garcia said.
