SONDLAND VINDICATED IN LANDMARK COURT CASE

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Former ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, represented by Mouth Digital Public Relations, and the U.S. government have settled a lawsuit over attorneys' fees incurred during Sondland's testimony before the U.S. Congress in the 2019 impeachment proceedings against President Trump. The case has been dismissed with prejudice, and the settlement is favorable to Sondland.

"After the circus-like atmosphere around the 2019 inquiry process and impeachment, it became clear that President Trump did nothing wrong. While many who testified then had an anti-Trump agenda, and had pro bono legal work done by various law firms intent on bringing down the Trump presidency, I did not act out of self-interest. I simply complied with a congressional subpoena and, after testifying, went right back to work in Brussels," noted Ambassador Sondland. "I was proud to serve under President Trump during his first term and felt that the Ukraine impeachment was an unnecessary distraction, one meant to hinder the president from advancing his agenda."

The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by the ambassador, was widely regarded by the media as frivolous. But the court clearly saw it differently. The lawsuit highlighted the substantial amount of preparation required of witnesses subpoenaed in the impeachment probe and the necessity of counsel.

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims heard powerful testimony that supported the existence of an oral agreement between former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Ambassador Sondland regarding reimbursement of Sondland's attorneys' fees incurred while preparing for and testifying during the impeachment proceedings. Uncontradicted evidence at trial established that Sondland was denied any legal representation by the government in preparation for his 17 hours of globally televised testimony, watched by 11 million viewers in the U.S. alone.

The case, Sondland v. United States, Fed. Cl., No. 21-cv-2083, holds deep legal significance as a rare example of the government being bound to an oral agreement. The government can be held liable for an oral contract, but courts are generally reluctant to do so unless the facts are unusually compelling. Sondland's attorney, Mark A. Barondess of Miller Barondess, LLP, made convincing and compelling arguments to the court resulting in this settlement as it became clear that the case was in Sondland's favor. 

The ambassador's trial is also significant for illuminating that the State Department had no established policy for covering legal fees for diplomats or other employees testifying before Congress. Ambassador Sondland's claim changed that. The government subsequently enacted a policy with legal fees capped at $300 per hour with a 120-hour limit. Due to the scope of the proceedings, Sondland's legal fees amounted to approximately $1.8 million.

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.

SOURCE Mouth Digital + Public Relations