who is sondland lawyer

by Sage Runolfsdottir Sr. 7 min read

Who is John Sondland?

Oct 11, 2019 · Sondland is also being represented by attorneys Robert Luskin and Kwame Manley regarding his testimony. It's also not the first time McDermott has had a high-profile client.

What does Gordon Sondland do now?

11 hours ago · A protest of Gordon Sondland outside the Sentinel hotel in 2019. (Briana Ybanez) April 18, 2022 at 2:47 pm PDT. Gordon Sondland, the Portland hotelier who was entangled in Donald Trump’s first ...

Is Gordon Sondland related to Puget Sound region?

May 24, 2021 · washington — gordon sondland, the former u.s. ambassador to the european union who was a key witness in the 2019 impeachment proceedings against former president donald trump, filed suit against...

Why is Gordon Sondland suing Mike Pompeo?

May 24, 2021 · Sondland was represented at the House hearings by Robert Luskin and Kwame Manley of Los Angeles-based law firm Paul Hastings. The suit says Sondland, founder of a hotel chain in the Northwest, has...

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Who is Gordon Sondland?

Gordon Sondland. Gordon David Sondland (born July 16, 1957) is an American businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels. He also served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 2018 to 2020.

Where was Sondland born?

Early life. Sondland was born to a Jewish family in Mercer Island, Washington, the son of Frieda (Piepsch) and Gunther Sondland. His mother fled Germany before the Second World War to Uruguay, where after the war she reunited with his father, who had served in the French Foreign Legion. In 1953, the Sondlands relocated to Seattle ...

What is Sondland's SPV?

Sondland repeatedly criticized EU member countries' creation of a "special purpose vehicle" (SPV) to bypass reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran, calling the SPV a "paper tiger.". Sondland was a vocal opponent of the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would transport gas across the Baltic Sea to the EU.

What political party is Gordon Sondland?

Mercer Island, Washington, U.S. Political party. Republican. Spouse (s) Katherine Durant. Gordon David Sondland (born July 16, 1957) is an American businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels. He also served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 2018 to 2020.

What time did Trump call Sondland?

The Washington Post noted that adjusting for time differences, the call would have taken place between 12:31 a.m. Eastern time and 5:19 a.m. and the White House reported no record of a September 9 call between Trump and Sondland.

What did Fiona Hill testify about Sondland?

In early November, Fiona Hill testified that Sondland, as a newcomer unaccustomed to diplomatic protocols, exhibited behavior that was "comical" but "deeply concerning," and his lack of adherence to security protocols made him a "counterintelligence risk.".

Did Sondland support Trump?

During the 2016 United States presidential election, Sondland initially supported Donald Trump, but cancelled a fundraiser after Trump's attacks on Khizr and Ghazala Khan. At the time, a spokesperson for Sondland said that Trump's "positions do not align with [Sondland's] personal beliefs and values.".

Who is Gordon Sondland compared to?

Gordon Sond land compared to John Dean. Gordon Sondland compared to John Dean 06:01. Washington — Gordon Sondland, the former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union who was a key witness in the 2019 impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump, filed suit against the U.S. government and ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, ...

Why was Sondland fired?

Sondland, who was fired after his bombshell testimony in the impeachment probe, said he incurred nearly $1.8 million in legal fees and accused Pompeo of abandoning his pledge that the State Department would cover his costs for political convenience. "If Pompeo did not have the authority to bind the government, Pompeo went rogue ...

How much was Sondland reimbursed for?

Trump. The lawsuit says Sondland was reimbursed $86,040 for his legal costs, but he argues that is far less than Pompeo's promise for "full reimbursement" by the federal government.

Was Sondland's testimony a fireable offense?

Calling his testimony "highly fraught, highly charged and highly risky with tremendous consequences," Sondland's lawyers said he learned that "testifying truthfully and candidly before Congress as cameras roll was in fact a fireable offense in Pompeo's" State Department.

Who was the person who lied about the Quid Pro Quo?

In public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Sondland implicated Mr. Trump and Pompeo in the purported "quid pro quo" and claimed top government officials knew of the arrangement. Mr. Trump was ultimately impeached by the House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December 2019.

Did Sondland resign from the impeachment trial?

Recalling a conversation with the counselor to the Department of State, Ulrich Brechbuhl, in early February 2020, Sondland said he was advised the Trump administration wanted to "purge everyone" connected to the impeachment trial, and Brechbuhl asked for his resignation. Sondland, however, refused to resign, arguing he did nothing improper.

Who was the judge in the Sondland suit?

Sondland’s suit was assigned to Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. Sondland was represented at the House hearings by Robert Luskin and Kwame Manley of Los Angeles-based law firm Paul Hastings. The suit says Sondland, founder of a hotel chain in the Northwest, has paid their fees in full.

Did Sondland say there was a Quid Pro Quo?

However, Sondland later said that as discussions progressed, it became clear there was a “quid pro quo” and that he, in fact, conveyed such a linkage to a top Ukrainian official. A month after Sondland’s testimony, the House voted to impeach Trump. In February 2020, the Senate acquitted him.

Did Trump fire Sondland?

In February 2020, the Senate acquitted him. Two days later, Trump fired Sondland from his post. Sondland’s suit acknowledged that it is possible Pompeo did not have legal authority to promise on behalf of the government to pay Sondland’s legal costs.

How much was Sondland reimbursed?

According to the suit, an attorney with the State Department's Office of the Legal Adviser said that Sondland would be reimbursed only $86,040. Sondland is a Portland, Ore., hotel owner who contributed $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee.

When was Sondland advised of the impeachment?

According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Sondland was advised on Feb. 20, 2020, that "while the Administration appreciated his testimony, the Administration wanted to purge everyone remotely connected to the Impeachment trial. Accordingly, the Counselor to the Department of State asked for Ambassador Sondland's ...

Did Ambassador Sondland resign?

Accordingly, the Counselor to the Department of State asked for Ambassador Sondland's resignation.". When Sondland refused to resign, he was fired later that day. NPR thanks our sponsors. Become an NPR sponsor.

Who is Gordon Sondland?

Gordon Sondland is a wealthy hotelier, a Republican mega-donor and President Donald Trump's hand-picked ambassador to the European Union — and the man who witnesses say directly connected Trump to the freeze on security aid to Ukraine and demands that it commit to investigating the 2016 U.S. election and former Vice President Joe Biden.

What did Sondland tell Taylor?

Taylor said Sondland told Taylor to call him. "During that phone call, Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelenskiy to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election," Taylor testified. "Ambassador Sondland said, 'everything' was ...

Who is the official who overheard the July 26 meeting between Sondland and Trump?

On Thursday, the committee will hear testimony from Fiona Hill, the former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia involved in the July 10 meeting, and Holmes, the official who overheard the July 26 conversation between Sondland and Trump. Their testimony is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET.

Who is the lawyer for the Democrats?

They can — and are expected to — delegate the bulk of that questioning time to their committee lawyers instead. Daniel Goldman , a former federal prosecutor, is the lawyer for the Democrats, and Steve Castor is the lawyer for the Republicans.

Why did Mr. Sondland refuse to go along with his testimony?

Mr. Sondland refused to go along when members of Congress tried to reword his testimony to support their views. “I am not going away in circles with you,” he told Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, Democrat of New York, at one point. “Be clear what you’re asking me.”.

Who was Mr. Rove's lawyer?

Eight months later, he advised that he had refreshed his recollection: Actually, he had talked to the journalist. Mr. Rove’s lawyer, Robert D. Luskin, was credited with unearthing email evidence that prodded his client to amend his testimony — and possibly spared him an indictment for perjury.

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Overview

Gordon David Sondland (born July 16, 1957) is an American businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels. He also served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 2018 to 2020. In November 2019, Sondland testified as a witness at the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. He was fired by Trump on February 7, 2020, two days after the …

Early life

Sondland was born to a Jewish family in Mercer Island, Washington, the son of Frieda (Piepsch) and Gunther Sondland. His mother fled Germany before the Second World War to Uruguay, where after the war she reunited with his father, who had served in the French Foreign Legion. In 1953, the Sondlands relocated to Seattle where they opened a dry-cleaning business. Sondland has a sister 18 years his senior. He attended the University of Washingtonbut dropped out and becam…

Career

In 1985, Sondland raised $7.8 million from friends and his wealthy brother-in-law and purchased the Roosevelt Hotel, a bankrupt Seattle hotel.
Sondland's company, Provenance Hotels, owns and manages hotels throughout the United States, including the Hotel Max and Hotel Theodore in Seattle, Washington; Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Washington; Hotel deLuxe, Hotel Lucia, Sentinel Hotel, Dossier, and Heathman Hotel in Portland, O…

Political involvement

Sondland was a member of the transition team for Oregon Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski's administration and was appointed by Kulongoski to serve on the board of the Governor's Office of Film & Television. He was appointed the commission's chair in 2002 and has served in that capacity until 2015. During his tenure on the film board, Sondland was instrumental in bringing the production of such television series as Leverage, The Librarians, and Grimmto Oregon and presid…

United States ambassador to the European Union

In March 2018, President Trump selected Sondland to be the next United States ambassador to the European Union, a position which had been vacant since January 2016. Sondland's nomination received bipartisan support and he was confirmed on June 28, 2018.
As ambassador, Sondland said that strengthening US-EU trade relations was …

Trump–Ukraine scandal

On September 26, 2019, the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the unclassified text of the whistleblower complaint regarding the interactions between United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. In this document, Ambassador Sondland, along with U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador K…

Philanthropy

Sondland founded the Gordon Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation in 1999, which was established to "help families and boost communities"; it has given money to various non-profits including $1,000,000 to the Portland Art Museumto endow permanent access for children under the age of eighteen. The Foundation helped establish a Distinguished Chair in Spine for pediatric orthopedic spine research at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in 2012. In 2014, the F…

Personal life

On September 3, 1994, Sondland married Katherine Durant, the founder and managing partner of Atlas/RTG, a holding company with a portfolio of shopping centers throughout Oregon. Until 2016, Durant was the Chairperson of the Oregon Investment Council, the body that oversees the over $85 billion Public Employees Retirement System Fund. They have two children, Max and Lucy.
In November 2019, Nicole Vogel and two other women accused Sondland of sexual misconduct. …