Interview · moment 8 of 14
Trump, Felix Sater, and Russian Mob Ties
from Live From The NY Comedy Festival (with Russ Baker) · #80
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
6 minGuest
Russ discusses his reporting on Trump's Russia connections, focusing on Felix Sater, Trump's shady FBI-informant assistant with Russian mob links, and speculates on Russian hacking motives during the election.
- 28:27Tim observes that scheming is the most enjoyable pastime of the wealthy—they scheme on golf courses, at country clubs, in church.
- 28:57The Bush family represents a larger tendency in American society: powerful elites using their position to reduce taxes and eliminate obstacles.
- 29:42Real estate is the most powerful industry in New York City, with families who own buildings sitting on boards at institutions like NYU.
- 30:42Trusting the CIA's claims about Russian hacking is difficult because the same agency has been caught hacking people's mail during elections.
- 31:03Tim argues Putin has little choice but to employ cheap cyberwarfare through hackers rather than maintain a massive military like the US.
- 31:37Trump essentially self-hacked himself with Russians over the years by surrounding himself with people from Russia in his business dealings.
- 32:18Felix Sater and other Russians working around Trump were virtually keeping him afloat financially during his business career.
- 32:32Felix Sater, Trump's special assistant, had been convicted of attacking someone with a broken martini glass and involved in pump-and-dump schemes.
- 32:42Sater was turned into an FBI informant while working directly with Trump, meaning an FBI informant and alleged mob associate was Trump's special assistant.
Donald TrumpFelix SaterVladimir PutinCIAFBINYUBush familywho what whyRichard NixonSaudi ArabiaRobert MuellerChinaNew York CityWall Street finance