- Oct 17, 2011
- 33,294
- 36,609
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Atheist
- Marital Status
- Legal Union (Other)
The work on the ambassador’s home on the outskirts of Brussels includes more than $400,000 in kitchen renovations, nearly $30,000 for a new sound system and $95,000 for an outdoor “living pod” with a pergola and electric heating, LED lighting strips and a remote-control system, government procurement records show.
The renovations at the E.U. ambassador’s residence, which include $33,000 for handmade furniture from Italy, appeared driven by Sondland’s lavish tastes rather than practical needs, people familiar with the matter said.
Some of Sondland’s colleagues said that, upon arriving in Brussels, he quickly became disappointed with his accommodations and, after unsuccessfully arguing to move to a new residence, began proposing renovations.
Procurement records show that in the years before Sondland’s arrival, the biggest expenses were for regular maintenance of the swimming pool, which cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per year, and for general upkeep and landscaping, save for a $122,000 purchase in 2015 for refrigeration equipment, apparently for the house’s catering kitchen.
Under Sondland, however, the State Department has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on furniture, fabrics and what is described in documents as a “family kitchen,” at a cost of just under $223,000.
That project is distinct from another for a “professional kitchen,” costing about $209,000, the records show. Before Sondland’s arrival, the home did not have a personal kitchen, and ambassadors and their families would prepare their personal meals in the professional kitchen, according to people familiar with the residence.
The renovations at the E.U. ambassador’s residence, which include $33,000 for handmade furniture from Italy, appeared driven by Sondland’s lavish tastes rather than practical needs, people familiar with the matter said.
Some of Sondland’s colleagues said that, upon arriving in Brussels, he quickly became disappointed with his accommodations and, after unsuccessfully arguing to move to a new residence, began proposing renovations.
Procurement records show that in the years before Sondland’s arrival, the biggest expenses were for regular maintenance of the swimming pool, which cost between $15,000 and $20,000 per year, and for general upkeep and landscaping, save for a $122,000 purchase in 2015 for refrigeration equipment, apparently for the house’s catering kitchen.
Under Sondland, however, the State Department has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on furniture, fabrics and what is described in documents as a “family kitchen,” at a cost of just under $223,000.
That project is distinct from another for a “professional kitchen,” costing about $209,000, the records show. Before Sondland’s arrival, the home did not have a personal kitchen, and ambassadors and their families would prepare their personal meals in the professional kitchen, according to people familiar with the residence.
