Sergey Kislyak, the longtime Russian ambassador to the U.S. at the center of a sprawling controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s administration, skipped out last minute on attending the prestigious annual Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night, Politico reports.
Kislyak is the ambassador who met with two of President Donald Trump’s advisers, including former national security adviser Michal Flynn, who resigned after he lied and said he had not met with Kislyak, and attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any investigations into Russia after reports surfaced that he had spoken with Kislyak during the presidential campaign. Sessions previously said that he had no interactions with Russian officials.
Kislyak, during the transition, also met with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner.
The dinner, held at the Renaissance Hotel on 9th Street, is among the most prestigious journalist clubs in the country and its dinner is considered an exclusive event.
Vice President Mike Pence is headlining the event with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Joni Ernst.
The Russian Embassy did not reply to Politico's request for a comment on why Kislyak would not be attending.
Hedrick Smith, the former Moscow bureau chief for the New York Times, was reportedly set to be doing a Putin spoof at the dinner.
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