US Rep. Maxine Waters insists the SBF participate in the FTX hearing on Capitol Hill

Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters returned to Twitter today to push even harder FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to attend the House Committee hearing on December 13 regarding the FTX collapse.

“It is imperative that you attend the hearing on the 13th, and we are willing to schedule further hearings if there is more information to share later,” Waters wrote on Twitter.

A representative for California’s 43rd District first reached out to Bankman-Fried on Dec. 2 and initially thanked the former CEO for being forthright about FTX’s collapse. The summons to testify was not a request or a subpoena.

Bankman-Fried responded Sunday that “having learned and gone over what had happened, I felt it my duty to appear before the committee and explain.” “I’m not sure it will happen on the thirteenth. But when it does, I will testify.”

Waters’ patience with Bankman-Fried seemed to be wearing thin as the congressman didn’t mince words about the importance of Bankman-Friend coming to Washington to testify.

“As you know, the collapse of FTX injured more than a million people,” Water said. “Your testimony will not only be meaningful to members of Congress, but also crucial to the American people.”

The conversation between the congressman and Bankman-Fried sparked a significant comment from Crypto Twitter.

“Ms. Waters, with all due respect – let’s stop flirting with the inevitable and cut the bullshit,” Bitmex VP Genia Mikhalchenko tweeted. Initiate the extradition process to return him to US soil where he can be prosecuted and convicted of gross and fraudulent misconduct. Send a subpoena.”

Whether or not Bankman-Fried appears on Dec. 13 to testify is not yet clear, but Bankman-Fried has a long line of officials and regulators waiting in the wings to speak with the former billionaire.