Latest news with #Sondland
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Former ambassador to EU: 15 percent tariff can be baked into profit margins
President Trump's first-term ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, brushed off concerns on Sunday about higher prices for Americans following news of the U.S.-EU trade deal, which set tariffs at 15 percent on European goods. In an interview with CNN's Jessica Dean, Sondland was asked to respond to folks who see the 15 percent tariff on imported goods and are worried that, for example, their perfume bottles from France will now be 15 percent more expensive. He said Americans might initially see higher prices, but they will soon adjust as competition returns to the market. 'At 15 percent, I think consumers will initially pay, but I also think that this will be baked into the profit margins — or a reduction of the profit margins — on a lot of these products, because the market will start to pull prices back down again as there's more competition,' he said. Sondland said a 15 percent rate will generate enough revenue to make a dent in the reduction of the annual deficit. 'I think at a 15 percent tariff, it's enough to generate. If everything that we imported bore a 15 percent tariff, that would generate about $450 billion for the United States Treasury, which would make an enormous dent in our annual deficit,' Sondland said. 'If the tariff were 30 or 40 or 50 percent, that would be an absolute shutdown, so that wouldn't work. But 10 to 15, I think we can swallow it, and I think it's going to generate a tremendous amount of money if Congress doesn't piss it away on other things,' he added. Trump and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal on Sunday, setting tariffs at 15 percent for European goods, including automobiles. The European Union will purchase $750 billion worth of energy from the U.S. as part of the deal, Trump announced, and agreed to invest in the U.S. $600 billion more than the current investments for other goods. The agreement is lower than the 30 percent tariff Trump had threatened to impose on the EU, which would have begun on Friday, and avoids a trade war with the U.S.'s largest trading partner.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Former EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland Sounds Alarm on China, Fentanyl and Putin in New Episode of We're Out of Time Podcast, Tuesday, June 10
Sondland Calls China 'Complicit' In The Fentanyl Crisis, Says President Trump's EU Tariff Threat 'Shut Them Down,' And Predicts Putin Will Gain Land, Unless The U.S. Floods Ukraine With Americans LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As We're Out of Time climbs the charts, reaching #3 in Apple Podcasts' Mental Health category and #6 in Health & Fitness, host Richard Taite, a nationally recognized addiction recovery expert and founder and executive chairman of Carrara Treatment and executive chairman of 1 Method, welcomes former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. In a headline-making debut, Sondland delivers sharp, behind-the-scenes insight on global flashpoints—from China's role in the fentanyl crisis to Trump's proposed 50% EU tariff to the future of the Russia-Ukraine war. "Having Gordon on the show is a game-changer," said Richard Taite. "This episode gives Americans a rare window into how global decisions are shaping our addiction crisis here at home and what we need to do about it." Known for his raw and unflinching conversations with celebrities, musicians, recovering addicts, and rehabilitation experts, Taite doesn't shy away from hard truths, especially when it comes to fentanyl. He calls Donald Trump "The Fentanyl President" for making the crisis a top priority, and says China's role in supplying precursor chemicals must remain in the spotlight. Headline-making moments from the episode include: 'China Is Complicit': Former EU Ambassador Sondland Says Fentanyl Crisis Is StrategicFormer U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland says China isn't just looking the other way on fentanyl—"they're complicit." He adds, "I think they're assisting in the effort, not just saying go ahead… You get people hooked or killed on that substance… they don't have to shoot a bullet at an enemy. They let the enemy kill themselves with that drug." Host Richard Taite, calls it a national security issue, based on years of treating veterans unknowingly exposed to fentanyl. "I call him [Trump] the fentanyl president…he's moved fentanyl to the top of the list when he talks about China." Sondland agrees, "At the top of the list whenever he brings up our trade issues with China is fentanyl. He talks about it all the time. They're the number one producer of the precursors…I think he's bringing it out to the top of the agenda." Ex-Ambassador Sondland Warns: Trump's July 9 Tariff Deadline Is Real; 'Essentially Shuts Them Down'Gordon Sondland, former U.S. Ambassador to the EU, breaks down Trump's hardline trade strategy with Europe. "Every president for 40 years has asked the Europeans to drop some of these trade barriers…and they've just tapped the U.S. along and nothing happens. So, for the first time, Trump said 'okay fine, while you're thinking about it, it's a 50% tariff,' which essentially shuts them down. And all of a sudden, within hours…the phone rings — 'okay, okay, okay, we want to talk.'" Sondland says the July 9 deadline is real. "Trump and his team will figure out how to impose them if the Europeans do not relent on some of their protectionist policies. I really believe that." President Trump Insider Predicts Putin Will Take Land, But Says U.S. Needs to 'Flood Ukraine with Americans'Ex-Ambassador Gordon Sondland offers rare insight into President Trump's private diplomacy with Vladimir Putin and predicts how the war in Ukraine could end. "He praises them in public. In private he says things like, I'm paraphrasing, 'Vladimir, you're unbelievable, you live in beautiful palaces, you're worth hundreds of billions…I love it, and I love you. But just remember, if you hit Ukraine, I gotta bomb the sh*t outta you…I probably have to kill you.'" Sondland says the war escalated under Biden's inconsistent strategy and argues even moderate U.S. support could have changed the outcome. Host Richard Taite asks, "So how does this end?" Sondland replies, "Putin sadly is going to wind up with some Ukrainian real estate. But the deal has to be—we flood Ukraine with Americans. Not troops. Business people. Infrastructure builders. Miners. Bankers. And the message becomes: Next time you try it, you're hitting us, not just Ukrainians." Full Episode Drops Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube under We're Out of Time. About We're Out of Time:Hosted by Richard Taite, a nationally recognized addiction recovery expert, entrepreneur, and founder of Carrara Treatment and executive chairman of 1 Method—We're Out of Time blends personal stories, policy insight, and cultural commentary to confront America's addiction crisis head-on. The show has reached millions and now ranks in the top 10 in two major Apple Podcast categories. Past guests include former NBA star Lamar Odom, actor and comedian Jay Mohr, HGTV's Izzy Battres, rapper Famous Dex, and award-winning journalist Kelly Wright. For National Fentanyl Awareness Day, the show featured Los Angeles D.A. Nathan Hochman and Matt Capelouto, the father behind Alexandra's Law, now part of California's Proposition 36. The podcast also regularly features a powerful mix of celebrities, comedians, musicians, influencers, recovery experts, and formerly homeless changemakers. Media Inquiries:Lisa SpallaArlene Howard Public Podcast Info:We're Out of Time with Richard TaiteAvailable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major on YouTube: @RichardTaiteOfficialMore info: Social Media:TikTok: @RichardTaiteOfficialInstagram: @RichardTaiteOfficialFacebook: @RichardTaiteOfficial View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE We're Out of Time Podcast Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Former top Trump diplomat settles legal fee fight for $1.1 million
April 10 (Reuters) - (Billable Hours is Reuters' weekly report on lawyers and money. Please send tips or suggestions to opens new tab) The U.S. State Department has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit over legal fees sought by a former top U.S. official who testified against President Donald Trump during his first impeachment. Gordon Sondland, who served as Trump's ambassador to the European Union, accused the State Department in a 2021 lawsuit of violating an oral agreement to pay his legal bills, which he said were $1.8 million. Sondland, a wealthy Republican donor and hotelier, testified to lawmakers about Trump's interactions with Ukraine in 2019, ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Sondland was fired in 2020. Sondland was represented at the time of Trump's impeachment by a team from Paul Hastings, including Washington litigator Robert Luskin and another top partner Kwame Manley. The then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had denied ever agreeing to pay Sondland's legal tab. In January, Sondland's case seeking fees went to a bench trial in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, but the sides reached a settlement before any final order. The State Department paid $1.1 million on March 31, records show. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'Ambassador Sondland simply sought to hold the government accountable for the clear and unequivocal commitments made to him by former Secretary of State Pompeo and other State Department officials,' Sondland's attorney, Mark Barondess, said in a statement. Barondess called the settlement "a rare example of the government being bound to an oral agreement." He said courts enforce such agreements "only under very strict conditions and are generally reluctant to do so unless the facts are unusually compelling." At trial, Manley, who is Paul Hastings' global litigation head, testified that the work the firm did for Sondland was extensive and urgent. 'He knew he was not going to look to the yellow pages or to someone on TV to hire for this,' said Manley, who told the court that he bills at about $1,900 an hour now. In congressional investigations and crisis management, Manley said, "you drop everything, you work 16 hours a day." -- In other legal fee news, a U.S. bankruptcy judge on Wednesday rejected White & Case's $430,000 bill for less than two weeks of work in the bankruptcy of crypto company Terraform Labs, saying the law firm was never formally retained to represent Terraform's junior creditors. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon, who is overseeing Terraform Labs' Chapter 11 filing, said during a Wednesday court hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, that lawyers must be formally retained and submit fee applications if they want to be paid from funds provided by a bankrupt company. Terraform is the company behind the stablecoin TerraUSD, which collapsed and roiled cryptocurrency markets in 2022. Spokespeople for White & Case, Terraform and Weil, Gotshal & Manges — which is representing Terraform Labs in the bankruptcy — did not immediately respond to requests for comment. -- Brown Rudnick said Friday it will pay about $8 million to resolve a dispute over the law firm's bankruptcy work for exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, who was convicted on fraud charges in the U.S. last year for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from online followers. Guo retained Brown Rudnick to represent him when he filed for personal bankruptcy in February 2022. Guo's bankruptcy case was turned over months later to a Chapter 11 trustee — Luc Despins of Paul Hastings — after creditors argued that Guo was hiding assets and not complying with court orders. Despins said Friday that Guo's creditors had legal claims against Brown Rudnick over its advice and Guo's conduct in the early days of the bankruptcy. But a settlement was the best option, providing money for creditors without the risk or delay of litigation, according to the trustee. Brown Rudnick said in a statement that it "unequivocally denies" the trustee's legal claims but was pleased to resolve the matter. The firm will return $948,000 that it received as a retainer payment and pay an additional $7 million, according to the settlement agreement. A spokesperson for Paul Hastings did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Latham, Northwestern seek fees from conservative group in bias case
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Miller Barondess Represents Former EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland in Landmark Legal Victory Against U.S. Government
WASHINGTON, April 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland and the U.S. government have settled a dispute over attorneys' fees incurred during Sondland's testimony before the U.S. Congress in the 2019 impeachment proceedings against President Trump. The parties previously notified the U.S. Court of Federal Claims of their agreement, and the case has been dismissed with prejudice. Ambassador Sondland is represented by Mark A. Barondess of Miller Barondess, LLP. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims heard compelling testimony at trial confirming the existence of an oral agreement between Sondland and former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo regarding the payment of Sondland's attorneys' fees arising from his testimony during the impeachment proceedings. Uncontradicted evidence at trial established that Sondland was denied any legal representation by the government in preparation for his historic, globally televised testimony. The case, Sondland v. United States, Fed. Cl., No. 21-cv-2083, is significant as a rare example of the government being bound to an oral agreement. While the government can be held liable for an oral contract under the Tucker Act (28 U.S.C. § 1491), courts enforce such agreements only under very strict conditions and are generally reluctant to do so unless the facts are unusually compelling. Testimony at trial further revealed that the State Department had no established policy for covering legal fees for diplomats or other employees testifying before Congress until Sondland asserted his claim. The government subsequently enacted a policy capping legal fees at $300 per hour with a 120-hour limit. However, Sondland's legal fees amounted to approximately $1.8 million due to the scope and international significance of the proceedings. Following the trial and before closing arguments were scheduled, the government agreed to a seven-figure payment to settle Sondland's claims under the terms he originally proposed before trial. Judge Loren A. Smith stayed the case pending payment to Sondland. "Ambassador Sondland simply sought to hold the government accountable for the clear and unequivocal commitments made to him by former Secretary of State Pompeo and other State Department officials," said Mark Barondess. He further added, "We clearly proved the facts alleged in our Complaint at trial, and Ambassador Sondland is very pleased that the government recognized that." About Miller Barondess, LLP: Miller Barondess, LLP is a Los Angeles-based law firm that specializes in litigation, including trial, arbitration, and appellate proceedings in California and nationwide. The firm represents both plaintiffs and defendants across a wide range of sectors, including private equity, securities, financial services, intellectual property, patents, licensing and branding, technology and cybersecurity, real estate, healthcare, entertainment and music, sports, consumer products, insurance, retail, environmental, and government. With a reputation for winning bet-the-company litigation, the firm is frequently engaged to resolve pivotal issues before trial, and other law firms bring in Miller Barondess when their clients need a trial or appellate team. View source version on Contacts Media: Mark A. BarondessMiller Barondess, LLP+1 310-552-7574mbarondess@
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Trump's Trade Aim May Delay U.S./European Auto Tariff Pact
Trade war between EU and USA,concept photo European governments and industry leaders reacted with varying degrees of horror to President Trump's threat to erect 25% auto tariff barriers. But it's not just tariffs which Trump wants to reform. He seeks to overturn what he considers to be a long-term conspiracy to block overall American exports by unfair and hidden means too. One London commentator says Trump's basic aim is to force Europeans to clear the decks for free trade. European leaders have plenty of reasons to worry about the outcome of negotiations with the U.S., but it's not the 25% tariff, starting April 3, they should be most worried about. After all the unfair current regime, where Europe charges American a 10% tariff on its sedan and SUV imports while the U.S. only insists on 2.5%, would be easy to equalize. It's Trump's overall policy to fix, once and for all, what he considers to be a long-term trade rip-off by Europe of the U.S. that should cause them sleepless nights. That might well drag on and become a serious barrier to trade for months. Meanwhile European automakers like BMW and its Rolls Royce and Mini subsidiaries, Mercedes, and Volkswagen with its Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini brands could bleeding serious money from the bottom line as U.S. sales stall. Among the cries of outrage from Europeans were these, according to Reuters. USA and European Union trade war concept, port crane lift two cargo containers. These reactions seem to misunderstand Trump's basic position. Former U.S. ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland expects the Trump Administration to seek huge overall changes to long-term unfair trading including non-tariff barriers. Trump has described the EU's trade policy as "an atrocity.' Trump also claimed the annual U.S. trade deficit with the EU was more than $300 billion. Sondland said in a recent interview with the BBC's NewsNight program the EU imposes hidden barriers on American products. For cars, that can mean different safety standards. For food, there also are standards the EU doesn't like. Hormone-fed beef is one area of contention. 'If we sell you a vegetable or a car or a product if it's safe to use in the U.S. it should deemed to be safe to use in the EU,' Sondland said. The U.S. is tired of talking about impediments to its foreign trade and wants action now, he said. Gordon Sondland, formerly the U.S ambassador to the European Union. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ... More Images) Sondland, who didn't claim to speak for the Trump administration, was ambassador to the EU during Trump's first term. There is some good news for Europe because its aggressive reaction to the Trump demands suggests it misunderstands Trump's position. According to Daily Telegraph of London columnist Sherelle Jacobs, Trump isn't interested in seeking an unfair advantage for America, he simply wants to force countries using unfair trading methods to commit to free trade. 'Trump-sceptics love to deride the president for his branding of tariff imposition day as Liberation Day. But while the means are undoubtedly protectionist, the ends are essentially libertarian. Put simply, Trump is trying to beat countries with a stick until they agree to dismantle red tape that is holding back global demand for U.S. goods and services,' Jacobs said.
