On Tuesday, a Republican US senator called for a major investigation into the ways that Donald Trump’s family is capitalizing on his time in office, adding that the growing perception of them exploiting their position is eroding confidence in the government.
Senator John Curtis primarily sent a letter to a Senate panel requesting a probe into businesses owned by Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. and significant payments from a Russian oligarch for his wedding celebrations in the Bahamas this year.
The open letter represents a second instance in two days where prominent Republicans have distanced themselves from an unpopular president six weeks before midterm elections in which his position is dependent on uncertain circumstances in the US Congress.
Curtis pressed the committee to probe presidential family relationships and their possible exploitation by domestic and foreign entities such as through wedding festivities worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for Trump in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“These reports raise legitimate questions about foreign access to members of a sitting president’s family and whether such relationships can create actual or perceived expectations of favorable treatment,”
Curtis also raised questions about Trump Jr. ‘s business ventures including crypto promotion, real estate deals, and other business dealing while his father occupies the White House.
Trump has defended their family business dealings while serving in office and disavowed conflicts of interests pointing to a trust managed by Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Nonetheless, Curtis referenced past congressional probes into former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden asserting that there should be equal oversight standards regardless of political party.
