Gordon Sondland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Sondland
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2024 portrait of Sondland
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| 20th United States Ambassador to the European Union | |
| In office July 9, 2018 – February 7, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Anthony L. Gardner |
| Succeeded by | Mark Gitenstein Ronald Gidwitz (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gordon David Sondland
July 16, 1957 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Katherine Durant (divorced in 2021) |
| Education | University of Washington |
Gordon David Sondland (born July 16, 1957) is an American businessman. He is known for founding and leading Provenance Hotels. Sondland also served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 2018 to 2020. In November 2019, he gave important testimony during the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. He was removed from his ambassador role in February 2020.
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Early Life and Education
Gordon Sondland was born in Mercer Island, Washington. His parents were Frieda and Gunther Sondland. His mother left Germany before World War II and met his father in Uruguay. His father had served in the French Foreign Legion.
In 1953, his family moved to Seattle and started a dry-cleaning business. Gordon Sondland attended the University of Washington. However, he left college early to become a salesman in commercial real estate.
Building a Hotel Business
In 1985, Gordon Sondland started his career in the hotel business. He gathered money from friends and family to buy the Roosevelt Hotel in Seattle. This hotel was not doing well at the time.
Provenance Hotels: Unique Stays
Sondland's company, Provenance Hotels, owns and manages hotels across the United States. These hotels are known for being unique. They often take old buildings and turn them into new, themed hotels. For example, the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Washington used to be a conference center. Now, it features amazing glass art by many artists, including Dale Chihuly.
Provenance Hotels also designs each hotel with themes. These themes connect to the history, art, and culture of the local area. In 2013, Sondland's company renovated the historic Governor Hotel in Portland, renaming it Sentinel.
Ethics and Business Changes
When Sondland became a U.S. Ambassador, his name was removed from the Provenance Hotels' website. This was required by U.S. ethics rules. These rules prevent government officials from having certain business interests while in office. His wife was then listed as the chairman of the company.
Involvement in Politics
Gordon Sondland has been involved in politics for many years. He was part of the team for Oregon's Democratic Governor, Ted Kulongoski. Governor Kulongoski also appointed him to lead the state's Office of Film & Television.
Supporting Oregon's Film Industry
As chair of the film board, Sondland helped bring many TV shows and movies to Oregon. These included popular shows like Leverage and Grimm. He also helped bring films like Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon, to the state. For his efforts, he received an award in 2015 for helping Oregon's film industry grow.
Working with Presidents
Sondland also advised Governor Kulongoski on state matters. In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Sondland to a commission that helps young leaders. Sondland also worked with President Bush and Jay Leno on charity auctions. The money raised went to foundations that help military families.
He also supported Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2012. He helped raise money and was part of Romney's team planning for a possible presidency.
Changing Political Support
During the 2016 United States presidential election, Sondland first supported Donald Trump. However, he canceled a fundraiser after Trump made comments about a military family. At that time, a spokesperson said Sondland's beliefs did not match Trump's. Later, in 2017, it was revealed that Sondland had donated $1 million to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration.
In 2024, Sondland announced his support for Donald Trump's campaign again.
United States Ambassador to the European Union
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In March 2018, President Trump chose Gordon Sondland to be the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union (EU). This important job had been empty for a while. The Senate, which approves such appointments, unanimously confirmed him in June 2018.
Ambassadorial Priorities
As ambassador, Sondland focused on making trade relations between the U.S. and the EU stronger. He believed a strong economic partnership could help both sides deal with unfair trade practices from countries like China. He also worked on rules for protecting personal data between the U.S. and the EU.
Sondland also promised to work with the EU on global security threats. He was the main U.S. official talking with EU countries about the U.S. leaving the Iran Nuclear Deal. He criticized the EU's plan to create a special way to trade with Iran, calling it a "paper tiger" (meaning it wouldn't be very effective).
Concerns about Energy and Russia
Sondland strongly opposed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This pipeline would bring gas from Russia across the Baltic Sea to the EU. He argued that it would make the EU too dependent on Russia for energy. He said this could give Russia more power over important U.S. allies in NATO. He famously said, "Putin uses energy as a political weapon. The EU should not rely on a bare-chested version of the Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort as a supplier, even if his gas is a bit cheaper." He also expressed frustration with Germany for focusing only on its own needs.
Working Style and Ukraine
Some officials noted that Sondland sometimes used his personal phone for government business. He also traveled to other countries without always telling other officials beforehand. He seemed to spend a lot of time in Washington, D.C., rather than in Brussels where his office was. In May 2019, his approach became more noticeable when he became involved in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
In 1999, Gordon Sondland started the Gordon Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation. This foundation aims to help families and communities. It has given money to many non-profit groups.
For example, the foundation gave $1,000,000 to the Portland Art Museum. This money helps children under 18 get free entry to the museum. In 2012, the foundation helped create a special research chair for pediatric spine research at a hospital. In 2014, it gave another $1,000,000 to Oregon Health & Science University for a cancer research summit. In 2017, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University was also created with the foundation's support.
Because of U.S. ethics rules for government employees, Sondland stepped down from his foundation after becoming ambassador.
Writing a Book
In 2022, Gordon Sondland published a book called The Envoy: Mastering the Art of Diplomacy with Trump and the World. The New York Times newspaper called it "one of the most intriguing memoirs of the Trump era."
Personal Life
Gordon Sondland married Katherine Durant on September 3, 1994. She is a businesswoman who founded Atlas/RTG. She also used to be the chairperson of the Oregon Investment Council. Gordon and Katherine have two children, Max and Lucy. They divorced in 2021.
