WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – A Republican United States senator on Tuesday called for an investigation into whether the Trump family is profiting from his presidency, saying that any perception that relatives are taking advantage of his position undermines trust in the government.
The senator John Curtis wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting an investigation into the businesses owned by the elder son of Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and into payments made by a Russian oligarch for the celebrations of his wedding in the Bahamas this year. Democratic lawmakers in Congress began an investigation last week into the payments related to the wedding.
The committee chairman, Chuck Grassley, told reporters that he will take the request seriously, but warned that the decision about the investigation will take time. There is no expectation of a decision before the midterm elections, on November 3.
The open letter is the latest example of prominent Republicans trying to distance themselves from a president who is increasingly unpopular six weeks before the midterm elections, in which his party defends narrow majorities in the U.S. Congress.
Republican Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Mike Rogers called for an immediate end to the war in Iran, an unpopular conflict that has driven up energy prices and the cost of living — the main concern of Americans as the elections approach.
The Republican Paul LePage, former governor of Maine who is running for a House seat, criticized the deportation of undocumented immigrants promoted by Trump and argued that the crackdown should focus on gang members and violent criminals.
“I don’t think it’s the beginning of the end,” said Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina to reporters when asked about the meaning of the candidates’ comments. “But they need to have the flexibility to express any real concerns they have, because voters have those concerns as well.”
Unlike Rogers, Hinson, and LePage, Curtis, of Utah, the author of the letter, will only run in 2030. Tillis is expected to retire in January.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week showed Trump’s public approval at 32%, his lowest level of all time, and that support for electing Republicans in the midterm elections is also weakening.
Asked about the Republicans in key states calling for an end to the war in Iran, the U.S. vice president, JD Vance, told reporters that it was “completely reasonable for Republicans to adjust their campaign messages.”
‘Legitimate Questions’
In the letter, Curtis urged the Senate committee to investigate the president’s family relationships and the possible influence exerted over them by national and foreign entities, including wedding celebrations costing hundreds of thousands of dollars for Trump Jr., paid by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev.
Curtis also raised questions about Trump Jr.’s business ventures, including promotion of cryptocurrencies, real estate ventures, prediction market platforms and other, while his father controls the White House.
“These reports raise legitimate questions about the access of foreigners to members of a sitting president’s family and whether such relationships may create legitimate or perceived expectations of favorable treatment,” he wrote. “They may also create expectations of a quid pro quo that… could even generate vulnerabilities to national security.”
Trump said last week that his son is reimbursing Kremlev, but did not provide further details.
The Trump family has defended its businesses while Trump is in office and denied any conflicts of interest, pointing to a trust fund managed by Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
Representatives for Trump Jr. did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson said the Senate committee received the letter, but there is an extremely limited window to schedule hearings this year.
