Gordon Sondland would not have been any reasonable person’s first choice for a senior State Department post. Or their 20th choice. Before he found himself at the center of the Ukraine scandal, Sondland was a hotel magnate with zero relevant expertise or diplomatic experience. President Donald Trump nominated him to be ambassador to the European Union largely because of his status as a GOP megadonor who contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration. “Not only are these people more common, but they’re less qualified than their predecessors.” Rewarding political supporters with ambassadorships they aren’t qualified for is a bipartisan tradition dating back centuries.