US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed businessman Bill White as the new ambassador to Belgium. White was previously involved in a pension scandal.
Trump announced on Saturday via his social media platform Truth Social that he has appointed Bill White to serve as the United States Ambassador to Belgium. In January 2025, he will replace Michael M. Adler, who has served as the US ambassador to Belgium since 2022.
"Bill is a highly respected businessman, philanthropist, author, and advocate for our Nation’s Military, Veterans, and First Responders. He is the CEO of Constellations Group and former President of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum," Trump wrote.
He added that White has "tirelessly supported" the ‘Great American Patriots’ who have "given everything for the US country, raising over $1.5 billion for our fallen heroes".
Pension scandal
White resigned as president of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in 2010 after New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo opened an investigation into a pension fund scandal. He reportedly acted as an intermediary for an investment firm to secure deals with a state pension fund and was "secretly" paid for these deals.
He eventually agreed to pay $1 million to end the investigation of his role in funnelling investments to New York's Common Retirement Fund.
Politico reported that White was a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, but that he previously supported Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in their presidential campaigns.
