Embattled United States (US) nominee for ambassador to The Bahamas Doug ‘Papa Doug’ Douglass, is still pegged to take up the post, despite ongoing issues with his nomination, according to the foreign minister.
The billionaire real estate developer, who was re-nominated by US President Donald Trump, was earlier this year accused of having a misogynistic management style that allegedly made some of his female employees uncomfortable.
The said allegations date back to late 2011 to 2015 when, according to international news outlets, Manchester owned The San Diego Union-Tribune Television.
The nominee issued an apology via email which, he is also said to have copied Trump on.
Manchester also caused controversy locally, when he said, The Bahamas was “for all intents and purposes” a protectorate of the US.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield told reporters outside Cabinet last Tuesday that he is hoping that Manchester’s nomination process will be finalized soon.
“I had a bilateral meeting in Washington last week at the State Department and, the position remains the same,” Henfield said.
“We are hoping to have the nominee, Mr. Manchester, in The Bahamas as soon as possible.”
Asked if he was still the nominee Henfield said, “I think he is.”
Asked if his appointment would happen within the year, he said, “It has to be within the year, we hope it’s within the year.”
“We look forward to an ambassador being here in The Bahamas. We haven’t had one for more than 10, 11 years and, he unfortunately had some hold up’s in his committee hearings but, hopefully, they’ll have them resolved and we can have him in The Bahamas very soon.”
As his nomination to become ambassador stretches into its second year, the San Diego Union Tribune reported back in May that Manchester has hired a lobbyist to assist him with the Senate confirmation process.
Manchester testified before two members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during an August confirmation hearing, but the committee did not approve the nomination before the Senate adjourned its session last year, the Union Tribune reported.
As such, Manchester’s and other pending nominations were said to be returned to the White House. Trump re-nominated Manchester in early January.
Manchester, according to the Union Tribune, has not worked in government before. He and his wife are also said to have each give $454,800 in support of Trump’s 2016 candidacy.
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