Trump: Donald Jr. Will Repay Russian Billionaire Who Funded His Wedding

President Donald Trump said on Friday that his son Donald Trump Jr. had informed him that he would repay a wealthy Russian businessman who funded wedding celebrations in the Bahamas in May.

Democrats in the U.S. Congress launched an investigation this week into reports that Omar Kremlev, the wealthy Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Federation, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the wedding festivities.

ProPublica, which was the first to report on the relationship with Kremlev, stated he has close ties to the Russian government.

Trump told reporters on Friday that when he asked his son about the report, his son replied: "No, I will repay the amount, Dad," adding: "That was some time ago. So I heard he is repaying it."

A person familiar with the situation confirmed that Donald Jr. intends to return the money to Kremlev.

The president, who did not attend his son's wedding, said in a statement earlier in the week that he does not know Kremlev and that the wedding controversy "is not a big deal."

Trump reiterated on Friday that he has hosted weddings for "many people" at "beautiful locations" such as his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

"They get married, so we throw a party," he said, adding: "And with all that said, I understand that Donald has repaid the amount."

Donald Jr.'s wife, Melania Trump, said in a post on Instagram on Monday that Kremlev is a friend who gave a "very generous wedding gift," confirming he paid for two subsequent events after the wedding itself, not the wedding ceremony.