Trump nominates hotelier who gave him $1M as EU ambassador

PORTLAND, Ore. – President Donald Trump has nominated a Portland hotel magnate and major donor to the president, to be ambassador to the European Union.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the nomination of 60-year-old Gordon Sondland was announced by the White House on Thursday.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Sondland would be the Oregonian with the highest-ranking position within the Trump administration.

The nomination comes more than a year after Sondland gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee. The money was donated by companies Sondland owns but that do not directly bear his name.

The hotelier had long been considered for an ambassadorship, as big donors to presidential candidates often are. The Oregonian reported in September 2017 that a State Department investigator had visited Sondland’s Portland neighborhood to vet him for a security clearance.

Sondland runs Provenance Hotels, which manages 10 hotels in Portland including the Heathman, Sentinel, Lucia and deLuxe.

Sondland has residences in Oregon and Washington.