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The man with the direct line to Trump

Donald Trump has accustomed the Public to many of his statements in doubt. However, the rate of the U.S. President, two weeks ago, said Gordon Sondland, even fo

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The man with the direct line to Trump

Donald Trump has accustomed the Public to many of his statements in doubt. However, the rate of the U.S. President, two weeks ago, said Gordon Sondland, even for Trump-benchmark remarkable: "I know that Mr. hardly." Little credible that statement was before it became clear that the 62-year-old Sondland is a key figure in the Impeachment process.

Because Trump himself had appointed the political newcomer, in the summer of 2018, the US Ambassador to the EU. Previously, Sondland and his wife had donated a Million dollars for the inauguration in January 2017, and access to trump's own life circle get. To a considerable wealth Sondland came as the owner of the boutique hotels on the West coast, but for the Trump Fan, he was only after the latter's election victory. Originally he had supported Jeb Bush.

Under oath and in the spotlight: Gordon Sondland, US Ambassador to the EU. Photo: Reuters

In Brussels, where the hearings on the impeachment procedure to be followed in many offices live, is joking for days that it was impossible to forget the bald head Sondland with his loud voice and exuberant energy. In the EU-capital, noted diplomats quickly, how close is the wire from Ambassador Sondland to Trump, whose Agenda he mood is always good, but vehemently defends: China is a threat, the Adherence of the Europeans on the nuclear deal with Iran is a mistake and the EU are set to "Regulating" and protectionism.

He is one of the "three amigos"

In September, Sondland was by the testimony of the whistle-blower known to a broad Public: He was one of the Ex-Minister of energy, Rick Perry and the Ukraine special envoy Kurt Volker of the "three amigos", which, in conjunction with Rudy Giuliani for Trump to a shadow foreign policy in relation to Ukraine.

So is hardly to be exaggerated, what about the Republican representative Mark Meadows says: "During the impeachment proceedings, it comes down to a man, and is an Ambassador for Sondland." Sondlands role is so Central, because he has personally talked with Trump about the Ukrainian President Volodimir Selenski, the gas company Burisma, the military aid to Kiev, and the Bidens – and his first-Hand information has.

Video: that's what the Impeachment At the beginning of a call status: US correspondent Alan Cassidy explains how the Impeachment proceedings against Trump runs out. (Video: Alan Cassidy, Adrian Panholzer, Sarah Sbalchiero)

Sondland was denied in the first statement, is that Trump in the phone calls with Selenski to the military aid of nearly 400 million US dollars, as well as the invitation to the White house associated with the Start of corruption investigations against Hunter Biden, Biden, the son of former U.S. Vice President and current presidential candidate Joe. Early news appeared briefly, the Sondland was replaced in the summer with Volker, Giuliani, and the US interim Ambassador in Kiev, Bill Taylor,.

Taylor called it in an SMS, "crazy", a military keep in the help, to force help for a political campaign. Sondland said: "Bill, I think you have understood the intention of President Trump is wrong." The have excluded a principle of quid Pro quo. The reads still, today, in such a way, formally, as have Sondland want to prevent in the event that there is an investigation. A business, consideration shall always be considered as a risk for an impeachment of a US President – that is what it came from.

Why he has revised the statement?

The democratic members are interested in the extreme for, why Sondland has revised his statement at the beginning of November all of a sudden. You doubt the appearance of Sondlands lawyer that his client was reminded to the opinions of some of the witnesses of the fact: it had become clear that it is the Insistence of a connection between the Trumps on investigations of the Ukraine-shops of his domestic political rivals Joe Biden and retained US aid for Kiev must have been. This link he had sent in Warsaw, also a consultant Selenskis. Sondland, today will be repeatedly asked how he could forget such an important thing.

In the past few days, unflattering things came also Sondland to the fore. The career diplomat David Holmes not only described that he had been sitting at the end of July in addition to Sondland in a Restaurant in Kiev, as Sondland with Trump was on the phone and on the sorts of investigations against Hunter Biden in the Ukraine language. The US President said Holmes, according to so loud that Sondland weghielt the phone from his ear, which is why the Diplomat was able to listen in. Holmes expressed the fear that Sondlands would have listened to talks, as he used a private telephone and two of the three mobile companies in the Ukraine's Russian owners.

A busy Twitterer

Sondlands carelessness explained by the fact that he is not a trained Diplomat. That large donors without foreign policy experience, Ambassador, is common in the USA – the Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama rewarded supporters with such Posts. Recently it became known that the Ex-Hotelier Sondland a Million dollars in tax spent money to renovate the residence of the Ambassador alone, 400'000 dollars have been invested in a new kitchen.

such As Trump Sondland uses Twitter to spread as @USAmbEU his messages. Through his lawyer, he can explain that he's not thinking of the resignation and the trust of foreign Minister Mike Pompeo enjoy. However, hardly anyone talks in Brussels, more of that "reboot", the Sondland to the appointment of the new EU Commission has announced, under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen.

at the end of September had posted Sondland a photo on Twitter that showed him in the apartment, Trump-daughter Ivanka at the dining table with Jared Kushner, Spanish Minister Josep Borrell and Belgium outside the Prime Minister Charles Michel. With the future outside of the EU and the next President of the Council officer Sondland wants to improve the transatlantic relations.

is Known as a patron of the arts

Gordon Sondland was invited into the private apartment of Trumps favorite daughter Ivanka, one of the many arguments that speak against the "I know this gentleman is hardly"statement of the U.S. President. With the ambassadorial post in Brussels, a dream come true for Sondland, who collected in 2012, donations for Mitt Romney.

He likes to talk about his "return to Europe", because his parents come from Berlin and Gdansk, and fled before the Holocaust to Seattle, where she operated a Laundry. Her son was known as a patron of the arts, promotes with his wife, science and social projects, and is active in the Jewish community in Oregon.

Trump and Sondland in July 2018 in Brussels. Image: Keystone

this explains that even Ron Wyden, the democratic Senator from Oregon and a champion for progressive values, positively expressed on Sondland, as the introduced himself as a future Ambassador to the EU in the Senate. At the time, it was not obvious that Sondland one of those Republicans would be, whose reputation is only one man: Donald Trump.

For the 62-Year-old is a lot on the game, because false statements before the Congress can have significant penalties will result. Good advice there is no shortage. The democratic Deputy Eric Swalwell, a former Prosecutor, recommended Sondland in an Interview: "It would be for you but liberating, easy-to-follow only the truth."

Podcast "USA: decision-2020" Listen to the latest episode of the podcast "decision-making in 2020" with a United States correspondent, Alan Cassidy and Philip also on Spotify, or on iTunes.

Created: 20.11.2019, 16:20 PM

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