House Intel to subpoena Felix Sater after he fails to appear for testimony

The House Intelligence Committee will issue a subpoena to Felix Sater, a former business associate of President Donald Trump who was the chief negotiator for the failed Trump Tower Moscow project, after he failed to show up for a voluntary interview Friday morning.

“The committee had scheduled a voluntary staff-level interview with Mr. Sater, but he did not show up this morning as agreed,” said Patrick Boland, a spokesman for Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). “As a result, the committee is issuing a subpoena to compel his testimony.”

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Sater told POLITICO that the interview is “being rescheduled.” When asked if anyone threatened him or told him not to show, he replied, “No of course not.”

His attorney, Robert Wolff, said in a statement that Sater couldn’t attend Friday’s interview “due to health reasons” but looks forward to voluntarily appearing once it’s rescheduled.

The Trump Tower Moscow project has been a central focus of the Democrat-led committee’s investigation into whether Trump is compromised by foreign actors. Sater was initially scheduled to testify before the panel in March, but the completion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation prompted Schiff to postpone the interview.

“Mr. Sater helped spearhead President Trump’s efforts to build a ‘Trump Tower’ in Moscow, including attempts to reach out to Vladimir Putin. He must come testify,” said Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a member of the Intelligence Committee.