In recent days, the public has been treated a startling account of President Trump's interactions in a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The call, timed at a point where anticipated aid to the Ukraine had been stalled, seemed to many like a "shakedown" by Trump in an attempt to gather dirt on former Vice-President and possible 2020 opponent Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Democrats have called the situation "damning," while Republicans seemed to have reeled after the White House's release of an account of the call (PDF link), with Rep. Greg Walden's relevant tweet trying to both acknowledge the impropriety while simultaneously offering some measure of political cover:
Yesterday, the House of Representatives released a mostly-unredacted version of the original whistleblower complaint (PDF link) that initially led to concern over the phone call. It does not seem to help Trump's case, in that it paints a picture of gross misuse of national security resources on top of the existing concern about the exchange of foreign aid for political assistance against a private U.S. citizen.
What may be of more local interest, however, is the portrayal of a prominent Portlander as a key player in the entire process.
Gordon Sondland, a prominent political donor, investor, and hotel owner was elevated to the role of U.S. Ambassador to the European Union after serving as Trump's Oregon Finance chair in the 2016 election (and, counter-intuitively, stated through a spokesperson that he did not support Trump's candidacy).
Based on the whistleblower's letter, it appears as if Ambassador Sondland provided direct follow-up work after Trump's phone call, assisting Ukranian officials about how to fulfill the "demands" made of them. (The only "demands" in the conversation were investigatory and political in nature: regarding the Bidens and CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm based in California).
Sondland's political involvement in Portland has of course waned since taking his diplomatic post, but he has left a fairly significant legacy of political involvement beyond just the Presidential race. In addition to significant contributions to both Democrats and Republicans personally, his business Provenance Hotels is also a donor.
Later in the memo, Sondland's involvement in the process is further described almost in a damage control role:
What is notable about this, however, is that Sondland's intervention in the emerging relationship between Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and the Ukrainian government first came to light as early as May, indicating that there may have been some tension between the State Department and Giuliani at that point. The reference to "concern" about "differing messages" seems to imply Sondland and Ambassador Volker on the one hand conveying the official message of the U.S. State Department and Giuliani working on the President's personal interest.
However, that role changes drastically a little over two months later, when the memo references Sondland's role in helping the Ukrainian government "'navigate' the demands" of the President.
If the U.S. House of Representatives continues its investigation (as seems likely), it is probable we will hear Ambassador Sondland's version of events at some point.
-PB
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