Category Archives: SFRC

US Ambassador to Brazil Todd Chapman on Reported “Favor” to Help Trump Reelection

August 10, 2020 By in Ambassadors, Elections, Foreign Service, FSOs, Media, Realities of the FS, Senators, SFRC, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions, US Presidents, WHA|Western Hemisphere Tags: , , , , ,

 

Excerpt from HFAC letter to Ambassador Todd Chapman, a career diplomat who has been COM at the US Embassy in Brazil since March 2020. He was previously Ambassador to Ecuador from 2016 – 2019:

“We are extremely alarmed by a report in Brazilian newspaper O Globo yesterday which stated that while lobbying your counterparts on reducing ethanol tariffs, you raised “the importance for the Bolsonaro government of maintaining Donald Trump as U.S. President.” The article further stated, “Iowa is the largest ethanol producer in the United States…and could be a key player in Trump’s election. Hence the importance – according to Chapman – for the Bolsonaro government to do the U.S. a favor.”

These statements are completely inappropriate for a U.S. ambassador to make, and if true, would be a potential violation of the Hatch Act of 1939. We ask that you respond in writing by 5:00 p.m. EST on August 4th as to whether the allegations in the aforementioned article (attached to this correspondence) are true. Specifically, please provide us with a complete description of all conversations that you have had with Brazilian government officials in the executive and legislative branches with regard to ethanol tariffs and the U.S. presidential election. If you deny these allegations, please provide complete and unredacted copies of any and all documents referring or related to any discussions you have had with Brazilian government officials in the executive and legislative branches with regard to ethanol tariffs, to reassure Congress and the American people that our Ambassador to Brazil is truly representing the interests of the United States and not the narrow, political interests of President Trump.

The Des Moines Register printed a denial from the State Department:
“Allegations suggesting that Ambassador Chapman has asked Brazilians to support a specific U.S. candidate are false,” said a department spokesperson. “The United States has long been focused on reducing tariff barriers and will continue to do so.”
Allegations suggesting that the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine …. oh, wait, that was different, silly.
But as Pompeo’s new motto insistently says dear ones, “distrust and verify”.
So what motivated the Brazilians for making this public? More than one source reported this on Brazilian media. Is Foggy Bottom saying they’re making this all up? To what end?
Look, Ambassador Chapman is a Senate confirmed career diplomat. As such, he has an obligation to respond to questions that U.S. senators may have on this issue.  But the  SFRC under GOP Senator Jim Risch doesn’t seem at all interested in asking further questions. No surprise there. The HFAC is asking questions, however, and we hope the ambassador answer those questions.
For folks in the FOIA business, if/if there were instructions related to this, there would have to be a paper trail from the State Department’s WHA bureau, the home bureau of U.S. Mission Brazil.  Ambassadors typically get their marching orders from their home bureau.

WH Announces Nomination of Retired Col. Douglas Macgregor to be U.S. Ambassador to Germany

July 29, 2020 By in Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump, U.S. Missions, U.S. Senate Tags: , ,

 

On July 27, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. The WH released the following brief bio:
Colonel Douglas Macgregor, United States Army (Retired), of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Colonel Douglas Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, author, and a consultant. Colonel Macgregor is widely recognized as an expert on force design and grand strategy.  He is a frequent radio and television commentator on national security affairs and his writings on military affairs have been influential in the transformation of United States ground forces, NATO, and the Israeli Defense Force.
During his military career, Colonel Macgregor worked in support of Ambassador Holbrooke’s team during the Proximity Talks in Dayton, Ohio.  Later, he worked closely with senior military and political leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany as the Chief of Strategic Planning and, subsequently, as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe, during the Kosovo Air Campaign.
Colonel Macgregor earned a B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia.  He is the recipient of numerous awards from his military service, including the bronze star with “V” device for valor for his leadership under fire.
There are currently 75 nominations pending on the Executive Calendar; with 51 nominations pending in the SFRC.  Of the 51 nominations, 17 are currently listed for consideration during the SFRC’s business meeting on July 29, as well as seven FS lists.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with these nominations.
Senate calendar (PDF) indicates that the Senate will be in session August 3-7; Sept 8-25,30; Oct 1-9, then 2 weeks in November after the elections, and three weeks in December with December 18 as its target date of adjournment.
Even if political appointees get confirmed next week and are able to travel to post immediately, that leaves the new appointees with barely 20 weeks in office. They won’t even have six months to adjust to their new jobs, much less their new host country.

Nominee For Peru Ambassadorship Lisa Kenna Gets a Late Thunderbolt

July 24, 2020 By in FSOs, Hearings, Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, SFRC, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, WHA|Western Hemisphere Tags: , , , , , ,

 

Via Politico:
Lisa Kenna, Pompeo’s executive secretary — a gatekeeper of sorts to his office — told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she was unaware of the substance of Giuliani’s outreach at the time, but now knows it was an effort to discredit Yovanovitch. Giuliani made calls and delivered documents to Pompeo that came from Ukrainian figures viewed as corrupt by the State Department.
“At the time, I did not know what the documents were about. It’s deeply disturbing,” said Kenna, who is being vetted by the committee for the ambassadorship to Peru.
Ms. Kenna’s prepared testimony for the SFRC is available to read here.

Senator Menendez Asks WH to Withdraw Mark Burkhalter as Ambassador Pick For Norway

July 3, 2020 By in Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

 

On May 15, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate J. Mark Burkhalter, of Georgia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Norway. The WH released the following brief bio:

Mr. Burkhalter is a Senior Advisor in the Public Policy and Regulation practice at Dentons U.S. LLP, and plays a significant role in Dentons’ public affairs and economic development initiatives in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Burkhalter represented the Atlanta suburbs of north Fulton County in the Georgia General Assembly for 18 years, where he focused on promoting economic development, business growth, and quality of life in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area.  He left office as the Speaker Emeritus, having served as Speaker of the House and Speaker Pro Tempore.

Parallel to his government service, Mr. Burkhalter built a successful career in real estate development.  He received his B.A. at the University of Georgia with a double major in German and Slavic Languages, and Global Studies/Political Science.  He is conversant in German.

On July 2, WaPo reports that the nominee “did not disclose his involvement in the creation of a racist flier that distorted the features of a black politician in Georgia.”
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is urging the White House to withdraw the Burkhalter nomination.
The most recently confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Oslo , Kenneth J. Braithwaite became the 77th @SECNAV last May. 

 

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SFRC Chairman @SenatorRisch Chickens Out From Holding Oversight Hearing With Pompeo

June 8, 2020 By in Congress, Huh? News, Mike Pompeo, Oversight, Politics, Pompeo, Senators, SFRC, Trends, Trump Tags: ,

 

Michael Pack’s Nomination to be @USAGMgov Head Hits Double Snag

May 15, 2020 By in Media, Nominations, Political Appointees, Senators, SFRC, State Department, Trump, U.S. Senate Tags: , , , ,

 

New Arms Control Special Envoy Marshall Billingslea Now Nominated as Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security (T)

May 4, 2020 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, Realities of the FS, SFRC, Special Envoys and Reps, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Senate Tags: , , , , , ,

 

On May 1st, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate Marshall Billingslea to be the next Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (T). Last month, Mr. Billingslea was appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control. He was previously nominated as Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) in 2018; he had a confirmation hearing in 2019 but that nomination appeared to have gone nowhere.
If the J nomination did not go anywhere in a GOP-controlled Senate, why would this nomination fare any better?
In any case, if confirmed, he would oversee the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance; the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation and the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.  
The immediate predecessor to this position is Andrea L. Thompson who was appointed in 2018 and left her position the following year (see Pompeo Announces Departure of Andrea Thompson as Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security).  With the exception of career diplomats Reginald Bartholomew (1989–1992) and Frank G. Wisner II (1992–1993), all other appointees to the “T” bureau were political appointees. Click here for the names of previous appointees.

Via WH:

Marshall Billingslea, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security

Mr. Billingslea is the Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control at the State Department.  He has also recently served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing.

A former Managing Director at Deloitte, Mr. Billingslea has also served at the Department of Defense as Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Negotiations Policy.  He was Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and a Senior Professional Staff Member for National Security Affairs for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Billingslea received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, and the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of Estonia, among other awards.  Mr. Billingslea earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College, and an M.A. from The Fletcher School, Tufts University.

 

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Certificate of Demonstrated Competence: Aldona Wos, M.D (Nominee For Canada)

May 4, 2020 By in Ambassadors, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trends, U.S. Senate Tags: , , , , , ,

Via state.gov

SUBJECT:            Ambassadorial Nomination:  Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST:                  Canada

CANDIDATE:     Aldona Wos, M.D.

Aldona Wos is a physician, public policy leader, and philanthropist with broad expertise in public health and global affairs. Dr. Wos currently serves as Vice Chair of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.  Previously, Dr. Wos served as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, managing 17,000 employees and $20 billion budget.  She was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia under President George W. Bush.  Currently, she serves on the Boards of Directors of the Council of American Ambassadors, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, and The Institute of World Politics.  Dr. Wos was also a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council.  In addition, Dr. Wos has worked on behalf of the United Ways of Greater Greensboro and of Greater High Point for two decades.  She is the Vice President of the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation.  Dr. Wos’ diverse leadership and life experience, coupled with her deep commitment to international affairs, diplomacy, and public service, make her an excellent candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Wos worked for two decades as a physician specializing in internal medicine and pulmonary care.  She has been active as a Member of the Republican Regents, Republican National Committee.  Among her many other roles in public life, Dr. Wos currently serves on the Duke University Law School Board of Visitors and previously was on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.  She was also the founder of the Committee for the Preservation of the artwork of Jan Komski, Auschwitz Eyewitness.

Dr. Wos attended Marquette University and then the Warsaw Medical Academy from which she received her Doctor of Medicine degree.  She is the recipient of numerous awards, including one from the Polish Government and several from the Government of Estonia marking her distinguished service there as U.S. Ambassador.

 

Wos, Aldona, M.D. – Canada – March 2020

Just Security: Legacy of Late State Department Human Rights Champion Tex Harris Reverberates Today

March 4, 2020 By in Diplomatic History, Foreign Service, FSOs, Legacy, Lessons, Realities of the FS, SFRC, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

 

Martin Edwin Andersen, a former professional staff member on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is the author of Dossier Secreto: Argentina’s Desaparecidos and the Myth of the Dirty “War.” Below is an excerpt from his piece, Legacy of Late State Department Human Rights Champion Tex Harris Reverberates Today via Just Security:

Harris began working in Buenos Aires in June 1977, 12 years after joining the Foreign Service and a year after then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger made comments in a closed-door meeting that Robert C. Hill, a Nixon ambassadorial appointee, later revealed served as a “green light” to the Argentine junta for its campaign of disappearances, torture, and state terror.
[…]
Harris put himself at risk almost daily at his post with the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires. He tried to help thousands of families seeking news about those kidnapped, tortured, and clandestinely executed as part of a delusional bloodfest by Argentina’s generals. Harris’ work demonstrated that the junta’s drive to eradicate the much-exaggerated, if vicious, leftist terrorist movement also killed or “disappeared” thousands of innocents, including children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and handicapped individuals. According to an Argentine Foreign Ministry statement last week, from 1977 to 1979, Harris filed some 13,500 official complaints on human rights violations.
[…]
The tensions became so acute that Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David D. Newsom, who sympathized with Harris’ plight, brokered a previously unheard of agreement between the embassy country team and the human rights officer. The pact was meant to ensure that critical information and analysis was included as “official-informal” letters sent to Washington, even if the country team disagreed. Harris was required to share a copy of his reporting with Castro, but in return he was able to get unfettered information and analysis into the right hands without fear of censorship from his Buenos Aires office mates.

The agreement was frequently broken by Harris’ embassy foes. In one instance, a misleading performance evaluation jeopardized his career advancement, as critics claimed that he was not producing enough human rights reports even as they prevented the many he produced from being sent to Washington. A now-forgotten political counselor lectured Harris on the importance of “working for those who had more experience and wisdom.”
[..]
An unforgettable mentor as well as role model for many of those who fought to make Carter’s human rights revolution a reality, Harris will be remembered as a real hero, especially at this particularly troubled time abroad for American democracy and leadership.

Read in full below:

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Certificate of Demonstrated Competence: William Ellison Grayson, Nominee For Republic of Estonia

February 20, 2020 By in Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump Tags: , , ,

 

Via state.gov

Grayson, William Ellison – Republic of Estonia – February 2020

SUBJECT:            Ambassadorial Nomination:  Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST:                   Republic of Estonia

CANDIDATE:     William Ellison Grayson

William E. “Bill” Grayson is a senior financial services executive, lawyer, and public servant.  He is currently the National Director – Family Offices of Bernstein Private Wealth Management in San Francisco, California.  He has more than two decades of experience in investment, marketing and management positions in large global investment firms and as president of a SEC registered investment adviser.  Mr. Grayson also has a long record of public service.  He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to be the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Army where he oversaw the Army’s 2,700 lawyers.  President George W. Bush appointed him as a Commissioner on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships and then nominated him to the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board.  During the Obama Administration he served as a Regional Panelist for the White House Fellows Commission.  He was appointed by President Donald Trump to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors in San Francisco, and was elected Board Chair by his fellow directors.   Mr. Grayson’s considerable leadership experience, and familiarity with public policy, finance, defense, and the e-government and technology initiatives so important in Estonia, make him an excellent candidate to serve as Ambassador to that nation.

Mr. Grayson has served on numerous boards of trustees and investment committees, including UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC.

Mr. Grayson received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his J.D. degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.  He is the recipient of the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Army.