Trump’s New Ambassador To South Africa Is A Mar-a-Lago Member With Zero Diplomatic Experience
By
Guardians of Democracy Staff
Published on October 21, 2018
President Donald Trump is expected to nominate couture handbag designer and Palm Beach resident Lana Marks to become the U.S.’s next ambassador to South Africa, making her the fourth member of the Mar-a-Lago Club that the president has tapped for an ambassadorship, the Palm Beach Daily News reported on Friday.
The newspaper reports that Marks has a trail of business lawsuits in addition to having zero diplomatic experience:
In more than a dozen past lawsuits against her in Aspen, New York, California and South Florida, Marks has repeatedly been accused of stiffing her attorneys, accountants, landlords and employees. She is also embroiled in bitter, international legal battles in South Africa and Israel with her siblings over a family trust and the care for their 89-year-old mother.
Reached by the Post for comment, Marks, 64, a native of South Africa, declined to discuss the lawsuits or reports by British and South African media about her nomination. Nor would she comment on who added a sentence to her Wikipedia page on the morning of Sept. 29 that announced her nomination that day. The sentence was removed immediately after questioned by The Palm Beach Post— and it elicited an incredulous response from a Senate staff member who spoke on background.
ThinkProgress notes:
Marks, though, appears woefully unqualified for the position. Not only are designer handbags her main claim to fame — some of which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars — but she has also been dogged by accusations of lying about her past accomplishments time and again.
For instance, Marks claimed that she had previously played tennis in the French Open — a claim that records don’t back up. The South African Business Live outlet also noted that Marks’ claim that she played in the 1985 Maccabi Games appears questionable. While Marks claimed she played for the Bermuda team, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association noted that she had participated “without their knowledge.”
Trump previously nominated Robin Bernstein, a founding member of Mar-a-Lago and staunch supporter and defender of the president, to be the ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Mar-a-Lago member and Philanthropist Patrick Park was picked as ambassador to Austria but cited family responsibilities when he turned down Trump’s invitation. Trump donor Brian Burns also declined a post as ambassador to Ireland for health reasons.
https://theguardiansofdemocracy.com/trumps-new-ambassador-to-south-africa-is-a-mar-a-lago-member-with-zero-diplomatic-experience/?fbclid=IwAR3wZ5Vq0QEQAgaWFTon7ej_pIsSV9x9hPDUuEEGXIyg8geBS8amI7wHNGc
By
Guardians of Democracy Staff
Published on October 21, 2018
President Donald Trump is expected to nominate couture handbag designer and Palm Beach resident Lana Marks to become the U.S.’s next ambassador to South Africa, making her the fourth member of the Mar-a-Lago Club that the president has tapped for an ambassadorship, the Palm Beach Daily News reported on Friday.
The newspaper reports that Marks has a trail of business lawsuits in addition to having zero diplomatic experience:
In more than a dozen past lawsuits against her in Aspen, New York, California and South Florida, Marks has repeatedly been accused of stiffing her attorneys, accountants, landlords and employees. She is also embroiled in bitter, international legal battles in South Africa and Israel with her siblings over a family trust and the care for their 89-year-old mother.
Reached by the Post for comment, Marks, 64, a native of South Africa, declined to discuss the lawsuits or reports by British and South African media about her nomination. Nor would she comment on who added a sentence to her Wikipedia page on the morning of Sept. 29 that announced her nomination that day. The sentence was removed immediately after questioned by The Palm Beach Post— and it elicited an incredulous response from a Senate staff member who spoke on background.
ThinkProgress notes:
Marks, though, appears woefully unqualified for the position. Not only are designer handbags her main claim to fame — some of which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars — but she has also been dogged by accusations of lying about her past accomplishments time and again.
For instance, Marks claimed that she had previously played tennis in the French Open — a claim that records don’t back up. The South African Business Live outlet also noted that Marks’ claim that she played in the 1985 Maccabi Games appears questionable. While Marks claimed she played for the Bermuda team, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association noted that she had participated “without their knowledge.”
Trump previously nominated Robin Bernstein, a founding member of Mar-a-Lago and staunch supporter and defender of the president, to be the ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Mar-a-Lago member and Philanthropist Patrick Park was picked as ambassador to Austria but cited family responsibilities when he turned down Trump’s invitation. Trump donor Brian Burns also declined a post as ambassador to Ireland for health reasons.
https://theguardiansofdemocracy.com/trumps-new-ambassador-to-south-africa-is-a-mar-a-lago-member-with-zero-diplomatic-experience/?fbclid=IwAR3wZ5Vq0QEQAgaWFTon7ej_pIsSV9x9hPDUuEEGXIyg8geBS8amI7wHNGc
