Utah Sen. John Curtis wants to restore confidence in the presidency by asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate ethics rules regarding presidential family members on both sides of the political aisle.
Curtis, who wants Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden to testify before Congress, says “we’ve got some ethics rules that are in question, particularly as it comes to the president and his family.”
On this bonus episode of “Deseret Voices,” Curtis tells Jane Clayson Johnson why this request goes beyond reports of a Russian oligarch bankrolling Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding.
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Note: Transcript edited by Steven Watkins.
Jane Clayson: Sen. Curtis, welcome. Nice to have you.
John Curtis: Great to be with you today.
JCJ: On Monday, you sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that made national news. Walk us through what you asked for and what prompted it.
JC: So, I think it’s fair to say that all of us are a little concerned with institutions and defending those institutions. And I want to be clear, this was not an anti-Donald Trump Jr. attempt. This was simply an attempt for the American people to hear directly from him — and, by the way, Hunter Biden — and answer questions and be accountable. And I think the American people expect that from us here in Congress, and I felt like it was my job to do it.
JCJ: So, you’ve called for Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden to be subpoenaed before Congress. You described the reports of a Russian oligarch bankrolling Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding party on a private island in the Bahamas as, quote, “corruption.” What crossed the line for you?
JC: Well, I think — I mean, it’s almost even hard to say the sentence you just said without like — almost being aghast, right? Like, of all the things the president’s son should know, that should be something that nobody should have to tell them. And so I’m worried about it, and I just want to make sure that the American people get answers.
JCJ: President Trump talked about his son repaying the Russian businessmen. He said that accepting the gift was allowed. Does that resolve any of your concerns?
JC: Whether it was allowed or not, and part of my letter actually talks about the fact that if this is allowed, we ought to be having a conversation about the rules. And so, but it is possible. I mean, we’ve got some ethics rules that are in question, particularly as it comes to the president and his family. And so part of the point of the letter is, let’s find out. If this was not a violation, then let’s have a serious conversation about whether or not we have the right rules in place.
JCJ: You talk about the ethics violations. What exactly do you want to know about the relationship between Donald Trump Jr. and this Russian oligarch? What questions do you believe need to be answered under oath?
JC: Yeah, let me also point out, this is not the only point of concern in the letter. Boards of — crypto boards and prediction market boards, all of those seem to be in conflict with the duties of the president and could influence. And so, I think what I want to know is what the American people want to know: Is there any misdealings? Is there anything that is not appropriate? And if there’s not, let’s, like I say, let’s reevaluate the rules and just give people confidence in institutions, and in the presidency, and in the rules of the road.
JCJ: As you say, this goes beyond the wedding reception. There’s cryptocurrency ventures, international real estate deals, defense contracting, prediction market platforms. Are you describing and concerned about a pattern that you believe constitutes some sort of national security risk here?
JC: You know, I don’t think that I was intent on describing a pattern. I think simply as you list them off, it’s going to be hard for anybody that listens to what you just said not to feel like there’s a pattern there. That’s a pretty broad list. It’s not an accidental thing. Let me come back to the fact that I do — I — this isn’t a specific family member; this is really all family members that I’m concerned about, including Hunter Biden. And if we haven’t dealt with this issue before here in the United States, it’s time that we do.
JCJ: Hunter Biden has already been the subject of extensive congressional investigations. Why do you believe he needs to be subpoenaed again?
JC: I think the whole point that I’m trying to make is I’m not singling out any individual. I want to be very clear that anybody that had dealings that were questioned by the American people should be — should have to answer for those. And I think that’s why it was important for me to include Hunter Biden. It’s — I didn’t want this to be a partisan thing.
JCJ: You’ve now broken publicly with the president on a few issues, on AI regulation just this week. What do you want Utahns and Americans to take away from what you’re doing here?
JC: Yeah. Listen, I’ve said from the beginning, I want our president to be not just successful, but wildly successful. Part of that success is a voice that is a second thought, another view of things. If you think about any president of a company, his board of directors’ job is to tell him what he doesn’t see. And if you’re doing that in the spirit of trying to help the president be more successful, that’s where I’m at. I’m not trying to undermine him; I’m simply trying to say, “Look, I’m another set of eyes. I’m another voice. I do represent 3.5 million people, and I think it’s an important voice.”
JCJ: Have you discussed this subpoena with your Republican colleagues? I get the sense that there’s zero chance this might happen.
JC: You know, I’m quite content. I trust Chairman Grassley. It’s not as simple as him just getting a letter from a member and waving a wand and it’s done, and I understand the complications of that. I also have tremendous confidence in him to navigate this in the best way possible. And so, I’m content that my job was to bring it to his attention, and now his job is to decide what to do with it.
JCJ: Sen. John Curtis, thank you.
JC: Good to be with you.