The next US ambassador in Hungary is of Hungarian ancestry

According to Hvg.hu, a Republican-leaning 78 years old businessman might arrive in Budapest who has not yet gotten deep into politics.

David Cornstein might be the new US ambassador in Budapest. There is not much information available on the ambassador. But if it is the same Cornstein (and there are not too many David Cornsteins in the American economic elite and around the Republican party), he explains in a portrait movie from 2013 that he has Russian ancestors on his father’s side and Hungarian on his mother’s.

As Bloomerg’s and New York Law School’s profiles show, Cornstein studied at Lafayette College and New York University and had gained his wealth from operating leased fine jewellery departments in major department stores in the US.

He served as Chairman Emeritus of Finlay Fine Jewelry Corp. since January 1999. In the past, he has served as a member on the New York State Council on State Productivity, Board Member of Battery Park, and as Vice Chairman of the Economic Development Corporation of New York City.

He is said to be a moderate Republican, in 2002, he tried to be the auditor of New York. In his campaign, he was helped by Arthur J. Finkelstein, a lobbyist, whose clients included the government of Hungary, whose leader Viktor Orbán was a leading Finkelstein client in the 2010s. Eventually, Cornstein was not the Republicans’ pick. Before him travelling to Hungary, he will be audited by the Senate.

Péter Szijjártó Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said at his visit that they might open a new chapter.

According to him, the Trump administration has a similar view regarding many topics as the Hungarian government.

Before Cornstein, Susan Hutchison’s name came up as a possible ambassador, but she quit the Republican party in January.

Since Colleen Bell left Budapest, Chargé d’Affaires David Kostelancik is the leader of the representation.

Source: hvg.hu