Portland hotel magnate and Republican donor Gordon Sondland is being vetted for a State Department security clearance, according to two of the businessman’s neighbors. That kind of vetting suggests Sondland is being considered for an ambassadorship.
Sondland, 60, donated $1 million to President Trump’s inauguration committee. It is common for U.S. presidents to reward some donors and political allies with ambassadorships.
Sondland is being vetted by Erica Brown of Scappoose, who has a contract to work for the U.S. State Department as a special investigator. She left her business card at the doors of Sondland’s neighbors and asked at least one neighbor questions about his conduct.
Reached by phone, Brown declined to confirm she was screening Sondland. “I have no comment on that,” she said. The State Department declined to comment and staff in White House were unavailable for comment.
Robert Flecker, a veterinarian who lives near Sondland, said the businessman had mentioned to him that he was “getting a security clearance,” but didn’t say what it was for.
Another of Sondland’s neighbors, who was interviewed by Brown, said Brown asked questions about if there had ever been police activity, large parties or “weird things going on” at Sondland’s expansive home in the southwest hills.
It’s unclear where Sondland would serve his diplomatic post, if nominated by Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Fifty of the 188 U.S. ambassadorships are vacant, according to the American Foreign Service Association. There are some plum openings, however, including vacant posts around Europe, Africa and South America and in Australia.
Sondland, the founder and chief executive of Provenance Hotels, could not be reached for comment. His company owns and manages the Westin Portland, Hotel Lucia, Hotel deLuxe, The Benson, Sentinel and The Heathman Hotel, along with several Portland restaurants. Sondland also co-founded the merchant capital bank Aspen Capital.
The fact that Sondland’s donations for Trump’s inauguration came via companies he controls, rather than being made in his own name, drew press attention locally and nationwide.
In April, Sondland was named regional vice chairman of the Republican National Committee’s finance leadership team. He also served on the national finance committees of presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney and was an adviser to former Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
If nominated and confirmed, he would be the second area businessman tapped for an ambassadorship following a donation to Trump.
Lake Oswego businessman George Glass donated $77,500 to the Trump Victory Fund and $22,500 to the inaugural committee before being tapped by Trump as ambassador to Portugal.
Trump has so far appointed 47 people to ambassador posts. At least 28 are political appointments, rather than vacancies filled by career diplomats.
