Pence Announces Ceasefire, Turkish FM Çavuşoğlu: We got what we wanted, also this is not a ceasefire

October 17, 2019 By in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hotspots, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Spectacular, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

 

Read: USEU Amb. Gordon Sondland’s Prepared Statement For Impeachment Inquiry

October 17, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Impeachment Inquiry, Political Appointees, State Department, Trump, U.S. Missions, Ukraine Tags: , Leave a comment

 

 

Sexual Harassment in the Federal Government: Public Comments #FedMeToo

October 17, 2019 By in Courage, EEOC, Foreign Service, FSOs, Leadership and Management, Realities of the FS, Regulations, State Department, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

 

This is a follow-up to our posts on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’s  examination of sexual harassment in the federal government.  The Commission specifically examined agency-level practices to address sexual harassment at the U.S. Department of State and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) says that the testimony from their May 2019 briefing and public comments “will inform” their 2020 report “to Congress, the President, and the American people regarding the federal government’s response to sexual harassment in the federal workplace.”
USCCR has now made available the public comments sent to the Commission.
Note that S/OCR is one of those offices that report directly to the Secretary of State,
Also, left on its own, we don’t think the State Department would willingly release the victims of harassment, discrimination or assaults from the Non Disclosure Agreements signed.  It is left to the U.S. Congress to mandate such a release, as well as require the Department to make public the cost of these taxpayer funded-settlements each fiscal year.
Individual 2: FSO-01 with 17 years in the Foreign Service and six years of active duty in the U.S. Military

 

Individual 3: Retired FSO (2006-2017) with 16 co-signers

 

Individual 5: FSO for Locally Employed Staff

FSO, assault survivor

Senior Litigator at the Justice Department, stalked by supervisor for over a year
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Ex-Pompeo Adviser Ambassador P. Michael McKinley Appears at Impeachment Inquiry

October 17, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Congress, Foreign Service, FSOs, Impeachment Inquiry, Leadership and Management, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Secretary of State, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump, Ukraine Tags: , , , Leave a comment

 

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USEU Ambassador Gordon Sondland in the News: Drip …Drip … Drip…

October 17, 2019 By in Ambassadors, EUR|Europe, Functional Bureaus, Impeachment Inquiry, Political Appointees, Realities of the FS, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions, Ukraine Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, a Trump donor and a central figure in the Ukraine nightmare is scheduled to appear for a deposition on Thursday, October 17. As far as we could tell there are currently three streams of reporting concerning Sondland: Ukraine. the late breaking news of the renovation of the Chief of Mission Residence (CMR), in Brussels, and the reported ongoing boycott of his Portland-based hotel properties, Provenance Hotels. The Oregonian citing Oregon Public Broadcasting also said that “the popular local ice cream company Salt & Straw had severed its professional ties with Provenance, a chain of upscale hotels across the country, including six in Portland.”
We imagine that if his testimony is favorable to his boss, that we would likely see him tweeted as, oh, who knows … superman or the greatest ambassador ever. Or he could end up spending more time with his family. We should know soon.
WaPo on the $1 million official residence renovation:

The State Department defended the renovations, saying they were part of a “regular 17-year cycle of reviewing and refreshing furnishings and interior décor in representational residences.” The renovations were funded in April, after Sondland’s confirmation, a spokesman said. “Other minor renovations currently underway” were reviewed and approved by staff at the U.S. mission and funded in fiscal 2019, which began in October, after Sondland was confirmed.

Remember when a political ambassador was not pleased with the condition of the official residence mattress, or when embassy staff members spent several days to locate and purchase an umbrella for the official residence patio? Those were way cheaper than  a “family kitchen,” at a cost of just under $223,000. Not sure why he was not allowed to spend his own money. Anyone remember Ambassador Ronald Spogli and the $1.1M wine cellar donated to Villa Taverna in Rome? Also Ambassador Thomas Foley who reportedly spent $500,000 of his own money restoring the US ambassador’s residence in Phoenix Park in Dublin?
By the way, we’d like to know what other official residences are on State/OBO’s docket for renovations. These renovations are not unheard of but these are often scheduled years in advance. We’ve looked for the fiscal year projection for the USEU official residence in Brussels going back to FY2016, and so far have not been able to locate it.  But we see that the “major rehabilitation” of the Chief of Mission Residence Paris is on the expected to be awarded list for FY 2019. Cost for that should be interesting.

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Pence to Lead Ceasefire Delegation to Turkey, Erdogan on Ceasefire — Nah, But Come Visit!

October 16, 2019 By in Court Cases, EUR|Europe, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hotspots, Huh? News, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Reputation, Secretary of State, Spectacular, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

 

Pompeo Announces to the Universe: “We’re leading from the front … We’re leading from the front …We’re leading from the front …

October 16, 2019 By in Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Secretary of State, Spectacular, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: ,

 

 

EUR/DAS George Kent Honors Subpoena, Appears For Deposition Over #Ukraine

October 16, 2019 By in Foreign Policy, Foreign Service, FSOs, Impeachment Inquiry, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump, Ukraine Tags: , , , , ,

 

Interior Design Businesswoman Barbera Hale Thornhill to be U.S. Ambassador to Singapore

October 16, 2019 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

 

The WH recently announced the president’s intent to nominate Barbera Hale Thornhill of California, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore. The WH released the following brief bio:

Barbera Hale Thornhill currently serves as president of Impact Design, a business-focused interior design firm in Los Angeles, California.  She is an active member of the Getty Research Institute Council, the Getty Paintings Council, the World Affairs Council, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.  Ms. Thornhill’s extensive philanthropic work has address the needs of children affected by poverty, abuse and neglect, especially as Secretary of the Board of the Children’s Institute of Los Angeles.  She has promoted literacy, technology, and cultural programs through the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, as a board member of the West Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and as a leader of the National Children’s Chorus of Los Angeles and New York.  Ms. Thornhill attended the University of California at Los Angeles, George Washington University, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

The US Embassy in Singapore was headed for a time by Chargé d’Affaires ad interim  Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath  who served from January 20, 2017–July 26, 2019. On July 30, 2019, she was succeeded by senior U.S. diplomat Rafik Mansour  to be Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.
If confirmed, Ms. Thornhill would succeed Ambassador Kirk W.B. Wagar (1969–) who was appointed during the second term of the Obama Administration and served in Singapore from September 25, 2013–January 20, 2017.
The last career diplomat appointed U.S. Ambassador to Singapore was J. Stapleton Roy (1935–) . who served from October 26, 1984–October 4, 1986. Yes, a very long time ago, though not the career service’s fault, of course.
Other appointees to this position include politicians Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (September 22, 1992–June 15, 1993), David Adelman (April 29, 2010–September 1, 2013), Patricia Louise Herbold (1940–) (December 29, 2005–January 20, 2009).
Given the GOP majority in the U.S. Senate, and the body’s underwhelming performance as the world’s greatest deliberative body, particularly when it comes to political and judicial nominees, it is likely that Ms. Thornhill will get confirmation at some point between now and election day.

Travels with Mike and Susan Pompeo: Italy, The Holy See, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Greece, Oct 1-6, 2019

October 16, 2019 By in Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , , ,