BOXING CHIEF KREMLEV FUNDED TRUMP JR WEDDING CELEBRATIONS

Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, helped pay for celebrations linked to Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding to Bettina Anderson, according to a report by ProPublica. Records reviewed by ProPublica showed he funded a fireworks display and the rental of one of two private islands used for the reception and guest accommodation, with payments reportedly routed through a Dubai-based entity linked to the association. The wedding took place over a three-day weekend in the Bahamas and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The report linked Kremlev to Vladimir Putin and noted the association's ties to Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy company.

Anderson dismissed the report on Instagram as "fake news", saying it recast something "personal and happy" as "political or sinister" because of who Kremlev is and where he comes from. She described him as "our dear friend" who "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding", calling it "an extraordinarily generous wedding gift". She added that friendship "doesn't require a political motive" and generosity "doesn't automatically come with an agenda". The White House, when approached for comment, directed enquiries to Anderson's post, and Donald Trump told the New York Times he had "no idea" who Kremlev is.

Trump said he had "never heard of" Kremlev and drew a distinction between the wedding and the post-wedding celebrations Kremlev funded. Anderson said the couple would not be "embarrassed or apologetic" about having "wonderful friends from all over the world". The International Boxing Association, which Kremlev leads, has faced scrutiny in recent years over its financial ties to Gazprom. Neither Kremlev nor the association has issued further public comment on the payments described in the report.