Donald Trump Appointed Gordon Sondland Because He Gave $1M to His Inauguration Party

How disgusting is this?

Sondland, who will give live testimony to House impeachment investigators on Wednesday, is a businessman who made his fortune in hotels and had no diplomatic experience before joining the Trump administration.

Before being appointed, Sondland donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration party. In a Washington Post op-ed published Tuesday, McFaul said the payment was the "very clear reason" for his current position, calling the arrangement a "quid pro quo of the simplest kind."

source

Really? "Sondland donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration party" and boom he gets to be ambassador?

Is this how one appoints ambassadors in the US? Please tell me this is a media screw up.

originally posted by: kloejen
How disgusting is this?

Sondland, who will give live testimony to House impeachment investigators on Wednesday, is a businessman who made his fortune in hotels and had no diplomatic experience before joining the Trump administration.

Before being appointed, Sondland donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration party. In a Washington Post op-ed published Tuesday, McFaul said the payment was the "very clear reason" for his current position, calling the arrangement a "quid pro quo of the simplest kind."

source

Really? "Sondland donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration party" and boom he gets to be ambassador?

Is this how one appoints ambassadors in the US? Please tell me this is a media screw up.

I am calling BS on this for one reason. If this guy thought this was the case, then why did he take the ambassador appointment. Seems really weird that some guy gives millions gets what he wants, and then is all pissed off about it. Doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

Also, to answer your question - yes there have been and always have been appointment like this due to money given on both sides of the aisle in the USA.

whoa whoa whoa sound like quid pro quo took place. Isn't this how all ambassadors are appointed? It seems like a fluff job that is given to donors and/friends of friends.

I said it in another thread I do not see the point in the ambassador job anymore and think it needs to go. Just more taxpayer money wasted on someone that can be there to throw parties and entertain people.

a reply to: kloejen

Can't say I'd be surprised if that was the case , seems like typical Trump to me , jobs for the boys.
Is such a thing even legal ?

I guess this article answers alot

How rich people like Gordon Sondland buy their way to being US ambassadors

1. Who picks ambassadors?

The Constitution says nothing about the qualifications required to be an ambassador. All it says is the president can appoint them with the advice and consent of the Senate.

In other words, a president can appoint whoever he wants for whatever reason he wants.

The Senate can refuse to confirm a nominee, but that has not happened in over a century.

2. Who’s qualified?

Deciding what qualifies someone to be the personal representative of the president abroad is therefore almost entirely up to the president.

During the Nixon administration, the president’s personal lawyer asked the wife of a wealthy department store owner for a $250,000 campaign contribution in exchange for the ambassadorship to Costa Rica. She famously replied, “That’s a lot to pay for Costa Rica, isn’t it?” She eventually went to Luxembourg as an ambassador and shortly thereafter wrote checks to the Nixon reelection campaign that added up to $300,000.

That overt quid pro quo prompted the passage of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

More questions answered in the article.

Maybe its just me, but i find the answers quite horrifying.

a reply to: kloejen

There are leaked emails from the democrat party showing people buying ambassadorships for donations, so this is not surprising.

Including an email that showed that Jeh Johnson gave $561,310 to the DNC, then was made the Director of Homeland Security.

Yeah this is super commonplace on both sides of the aisle. Not to say that I think its right, but neither side has any ground to stand on regarding this issue.

Welcome to the Real World.

Why the excitement? Trump exemplifies 'pay to play'. Just what we need more of in government, but this time with even more crookedness!

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: kloejen

Can't say I'd be surprised if that was the case , seems like typical Trump to me , jobs for the boys.
Is such a thing even legal ?

Only Trump?

While unseemly, this is more a product of the system as a whole. This goes very far back.

originally posted by: kloejen
How disgusting is this?

Really? "Sondland donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration party" and boom he gets to be ambassador?

Is this how one appoints ambassadors in the US? Please tell me this is a media screw up.

What rock did you just come out from under? That is how 90% are picked by EVERY President...lol Geez This is also why EACH President fires the vast majority to be gone on their first day in office.

a reply to: kloejen

If this comes as a shock, its time to obtain more knowledge.


Is it right? Nope
Is it fair? Nope

Does it benefit either country involved? Hard to tell but leaning towards nope.

Has this type of circumstance existed not only in governments but in every university and corporations since the dawn of wealth? You betcha.