Sondland Long Coveted an Ambassadorship

Washington Post: “For more than a decade, Sondland’s home in Portland, Ore., had been a fundraising outpost for establishment Republicans, candidates he hoped would one day recognize his work corralling wealthy West Coast donors and reward him with a high-profile appointment — preferably, he told friends, an ambassadorship.”

“[Jeb] Bush was the latest to disappoint. Sondland ‘kept talking about it,’ said a fellow Bush donor, adding that ‘2016 was not turning out remotely as we had expected.’ To realize his goal, Sondland made a political about-face and backed Donald Trump, a candidate he once said was out of touch with his ‘personal beliefs and values on so many levels.’ After the election, Sondland contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural. And he began calling in political favors — including from Republican National Committee chairman-turned-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus — to convince Trump that he could be a team player.”