George & Velida Kent
Through more than three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, George Kent worked to combat corruption, particularly in the former republics of the Soviet Union. To Kent, corruption by government officials for personal gain was not merely a criminal justice issue but a national security threat. It weakened democratic institutions, undermined the rule of law, and left nations more vulnerable to Russian influence. His commitment to integrity was evident throughout his distinguished career, especially in Ukraine, where he worked to strengthen independent courts, promote honest prosecutors, and encourage government transparency.
Emily Dickinson observed, "We never know how high we are till we are called to rise." George Kent rose to that challenge in 2019 when President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, orchestrated a campaign of disinformation against U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Kent warned State Department leaders that false allegations were being used to undermine American policy toward Ukraine. Placing his oath to the Constitution above concerns for his own career, he refused to remain silent.
During testimony in the first impeachment trial of Trump, Kent described the effort as a "campaign of lies." He said this under oath despite enormous political pressure from higher-ups in the State Department. He was unflappable as he explained how politically motivated instigators had, with Trump’s blessing, replaced career foreign service professionals with loyalists and bypassed established diplomatic channels. His measured, fact-based testimony was one of the most powerful presentations during that 2019 impeachment inquiry.
Kent retired from the foreign service in 2025 following Trump’s return to the White House. His last post was ambassador to Estonia, a country that escaped the grip of Russian oppression on August 20, 1991. His remarkable career also included postings in Poland, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.
His wife, Velida Kent, has an equally remarkable history. A Crimean Tatar, she was born in exile in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after Stalin's regime deported nearly the entire Crimean Tatar population from Crimea in 1944. Thousands perished during the deportation and its aftermath, and her family was barred from returning home for decades. She later became a United Nations economist and dedicated her career to humanitarian work, while actively supporting refugee assistance, education, and other humanitarian causes throughout George's diplomatic assignments.
“There does seem to be a turn toward right-wing populism that doesn't have a coherent socio-economic philosophy nor a path forward for a society. It instead nurses on people's grievances and then gains power and oftentimes acts in a manner not in the national interest, but in personal interests.”
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – FEBRUARY 14, 2025