Sondland Hits Pompeo With $1.8M Lawsuit Over Unpaid Impeachment Legal Fees

Gordon Sondland, the former U.S. ambassador to the European Union who was fired by Donald Trump after his explosive impeachment inquiry testimony against the then-president, is reportedly suing former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for $1.8 million in unpaid legal costs from that probe. The Washington Post reports the lawsuit claims that Pompeo promised Sondland that the State Department would pick up his fees ahead his November 2019 testimony—but then reneged on that offer after Sondland testified that there was a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine and declared: “We followed the president’s orders.” The suit states that Sondland was told to resign after the testimony, but refused. “After that, everything changed. Ambassador Sondland did not receive his attorneys’ fees, notwithstanding the promises from the State Department that the attorneys’ fees would be paid,” the suit claims. The State Department ultimately paid Sondland $86,040 for his legal fees, according to the Post, but the ex-ambassador is now demanding “full reimbursement,” either from the U.S. government, or from Pompeo’s personal wealth.