Trumps Ambassador To Canada Craft Remains Dedicated To His Old Kentucky Home, Calendar Shows

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Kelly Craft spoke with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Before his confirmation hearing began in June 2019 to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

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During the two months of her tenure as U.S. ambassador to Canada, Kelly Craft spent more than half the days in her home state of Kentucky or meeting with Kentuckians visiting Canada, according to her calendar released of the State Department.

Between August 29 and October 30, 2018, Craft spent at least part of the 27 days in Kentucky. While some visits include weekends, the Crafts calendar says he teleworked from Kentucky on 10 occasions. During his time at Bluegrass State, Craft conducted an interview with CBC from an arena at the University of Kentucky named after his wife, a major donor. He also attended a meeting and congratulations for the state cabinets for Economic Development at Keeneland racecourse.

In five days during those two months, Craft met Kentuckians who had traveled to Canada. He joined the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa for four events over five days. And he attended a gala dinner for the Council of State Governments, a Kentucky -based nonpartisan group led by then -Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R).

Craft’s predilection for Kentucky may exceed a politician’s typical preference for their home state. In August, Craft said he was seriously considering entering the Kentuckys 2023 race for governor, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. And her husband, Joe Craft, is the president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, which operates three mining facilities in Kentucky.

Craft did not respond to questions. The State Department released its calendar in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by American Oversight, a government watchdog.

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Overall, Craft spent more than half of his days as Canadian ambassador abroad, according to a number of Senate Democrats in his 2019 confirmation process to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The Crafts calendar also revealed two visits to the Trump International Hotel Washington, DC, including for meetings with foreign government officials. Last week, Forbes reported that Craft taught government business at former President Donald Trumps Washington, DC hotel, according to internal emails released by the State Department.

Craft stayed at the hotel in September 1113, meeting there on the last day of his stay with Canadas Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton. And on a revisit to DC later that week, Craft launched at the Trumps DC hotel with MacNaughton and Doug Ford, Ontario’s premier. Lunch was first reported by the Toronto Star. It’s not clear who chose the tab for those gatherings.

The Constitution prohibits U.S. officials from accepting gifts, titles or emoluments from foreign governments. The courts did not reach a definitive decision during the Trumps era even if payments received from his businesses would violate that clause. When he was out of position, the Supreme Court dismissed the cases as moot.

On a Tuesday in October 2018, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft teleworked from Kentucky, before giving a CBC interview from a basketball arena named after her husband,

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