Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have split along party lines regarding calls from Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah for an investigation into Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, despite some not having read his letter.
Curtis has written to the committee, requesting an investigation focused on the potential exploitation of presidential family ties for private gain, pointing to the foreign business activities of both Trump Jr. and Biden. While some committee members showed interest in supporting Curtis, most admitted they hadn’t yet read his communication.
In his letter, Curtis stated, “I therefore respectfully request that the Senate Judiciary Committee launch an investigation into the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.” He also emphasized the necessity to subpoena Trump Jr. and Biden to provide testimony about their business dealings, connections with foreign entities, and any gifts or benefits they might have received tied to their relationships with the presidency.
A toaster is a wedding gift. A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else. Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now. ‘Trust us’ was not enough then, and it… pic.twitter.com/dcWqU6e2X
— Senator John Curtis (@SenJohnCurtis) September 22, 2026
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley later informed reporters that he hadn’t read the letter, just hours after its distribution. “I can’t answer that question for you or him or anybody else because I just told a journalist downstairs I wasn’t going to answer the question until I read the letter,” Grassley expressed, revealing he’s an Iowa Republican.
When further questioned about why he hadn’t read it yet, Grassley noted, “I just got to town.”
Republican North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who is retiring, stated he wouldn’t oppose the investigation but admitted, “I haven’t seen the letter. I hear it’s about an investigation. It’s up to the chair, I would oppose it.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated he didn’t have enough information about the allegations against Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden and planned to defer to Grassley’s judgment.
On the other hand, Democratic ranking member Dick Durbin endorsed Curtis’ suggestion for an investigation. “It was a great letter; I support it,” Durbin commented. “I think we ought to have an investigation into Donald Trump Jr.” He added that Hunter Biden had already expressed willingness to cooperate with any inquiry regarding his business activities.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons from Delaware commended Curtis for wanting to investigate potential corruption related to Trump Jr. but didn’t reference any wrongdoing by Biden. “No one is above the law,” Coons said, expressing hope that his Republican colleagues would not ignore corruption involving the Trump administration.
No one is above the law.
I’m glad to see Republican colleagues like John increasingly refusing to turn a blind eye to corruption from this administration and the Trump family. The American people want an equal standard. https://t.co/bWgsl7LDgb
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) September 22, 2026
New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker mentioned he had not read Curtis’ letter. Meanwhile, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, echoed support for an investigation without having seen the letter himself. “I haven’t seen his letter, but there should definitely be an investigation,” Blumenthal remarked.
Republican Louisiana Senator John Kennedy also stated he required time to read the letter before forming a conclusion, saying, “I’m gonna read his letter, which I haven’t done.”
The inquiry into each member of the Judiciary Committee revealed responses from Durbin and Coons, but not from others.
Reportedly, Donald Trump Jr. received a lavish gift—a wedding afterparty funded by a Russian oligarch with Kremlin ties. His father, President Trump, claimed that his son “paid” the oligarch back.
Curtis argued for the investigation by referencing Trump Jr.’s involvement in marketing the family’s cryptocurrency initiatives, international real estate pursuits, direct talks with foreign leaders, and investments in defense contracting.
In the meantime, Hunter Biden has earned substantial sums from business dealings in multiple countries, including Ukraine, China, Romania, and Kazakhstan, while his father was vice president. Devon Archer, a former business partner of Biden, testified before the House Oversight Committee in 2023 that then-Vice President Biden had dined with business associates from Burisma, a Ukrainian firm, in 2015. Additionally, he indicated that Biden attended a lunch in 2014 with Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina.
According to Archer’s testimony, Hunter frequently placed his father on speakerphone during meetings with partners, which occurred roughly 20 times.
