Trump And Russia: Donald Jr Paid $50,000 For Speech At Kremlin Allies' Event

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Donald Trump, likely got paid at least $50,000 for delivering remarks at a event in Paris backed by allies of the Russian government and its efforts to stop the civil war in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The October event was put on by the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs, a French think tank, which is headed up by Fabien Baussart, and his wife Randa Kassis, who was born in Syria. The couple is widely known as pro-Russia figures but say they do not represent the Kremlin.

Trump Jr's appearance at the event was reported in November and stirred some controversy because the think tank supports a closer cooperation between Russia and Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been accused of many war crimes during the country's bloody civil war.

Trump Jr.'s booking fee on the site All American Speakers is listed at $50,000 and above, while sources told the Journal that the French event typically pays speaker considerably more than their base rate. The Trump Organization, where 39-year-old Trump Jr. is now executive vice president, did not deny that the eldest son of the president was paid.

"Donald Trump Jr. has been participating in business-related speaking engagements for over a decade — discussing a range of topics including sharing his entrepreneurial experiences and offering career specific advice," said Amanda Miller, the company’s vice president for marketing, to the Journal.

The report from the Journal comes amid a growing controversy over the president's ties to the Kremlin. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under fire for perhaps misrepresenting during a confirmation hearing if he met with a Russian official during Trump's campaign. Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, meanwhile, was forced to resign less than one month into the new administration after it was revealed he did not disclose to Vice President Mike Pence that he had talked with a Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions.

This all follows the intelligence community assessing that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee in an effort to help Trump win the election. Reports have also suggested that the Trump campaign was in regular contact with Russian officials throughout the election cycle.