WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator John Curtis, a Utah Republican, recently called for an investigation into the use of presidential relationships to benefit family members. On Tuesday, Senator Curtis demanded that the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden to testify about their past business dealings.
In his letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leadership, Curtis specifically urged the committee to compel testimony from both men regarding "their past business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts, or other benefits they have received, and any instances in which their relationship to the President was invoked or understood to provide value," as stated in his letter.
Senator Curtis's request comes after recent scrutiny of Donald Trump Jr.'s business activities. Curtis highlighted reports that Trump Jr. accepted gifts from a close friend of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, including a private island wedding after-party paid for by a Russian oligarch. In a social media video, according to the Associated Press, Curtis stated these dealings suggested "corruption."
Curtis also cited concerns over Donald Trump Jr.'s cryptocurrency dealings and his connections to prediction markets, which rely on regulatory decisions made by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Senator wrote that 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." He added that such situations "may create expectations of a returned favor that would not be in the best interests of the American people or our allies, and could even create national security vulnerabilities."
Regarding Hunter Biden, Curtis's letter also called for an examination of his business interests, seeking testimony on similar matters of foreign individuals, entities, gifts, and any benefits derived from his relationship to the President.
Senator Curtis explained his demand for an investigation by citing a "decaying lack of trust in government." He pointed to data from the Partnership for Public Service, which indicates that only 27% of Americans trust the federal government, with 72% claiming it is "corrupt."
This call by a Republican senator to investigate a member of the Trump family has been described as a "bombshell" ahead of the November midterm elections. The immediate reaction to Curtis's demand for subpoenas for both Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden was one of surprise. The non-partisan news organization The Hill characterized it as a "bombshell," noting that "Republican senators have been hesitant about getting into the crosshairs of Trump, aside from members who are not running for reelection."