Though Donald Trump insists he wouldn't recognize Russian-born businessman Felix Sater even if they were sitting in the same room, his close work with Sater building Trump-branded buildings across the U.S. and the former Soviet bloc tells a different story. The Washington Post reports that during the six-year period that Sater, who was then an executive at Bayrock Group, worked with Trump, he often stopped into Trump's office, once flew to Colorado with Trump, and was even asked to escort Trump's children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, around Moscow.
Although Trump claims he didn't know it at the time he started working with him, Sater is a government informant with a criminal past. In 1998, Sater pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering as part of a $40 million stock fraud that involved members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families. He has been "accused by former business associates of threatening to kill them and praised by top government officials for information that has led to numerous mob convictions and national security gains," The Washington Post reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San FranciscoUnder the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climateThe explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teensThe Week Recommends Social media is pushing overly elaborate routines for young skin
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliablespeed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutinySpeed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress codespeed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirementspeed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff displaySpeed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
