Who Is Jeffrey Loria? Miami Marlins Owner Picked For Ambassador To France, Report Says, But May Lose Out On Kushners Deal

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is being considered for the position of ambassador to France by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a report that emerged Wednesday.

Loria, who is also an art dealer, is being pushed for the post by White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, much to the state department’s chagrin, the New York Post reported. It said Priebus was attempting to bypass Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s authority by using his proximity to the president and place “GOP loyalists” in coveted positions.

While Priebus may be pushing for Loria’s ambassadorship, the Marlins owner may lose out on the $1.6 billion “handshake” deal to sell the franchise to a group led by Joshua Kushner, brother of White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is also married to Ivanka Trump, the president’s elder daughter.

According to reports, the Marlins were focused on the potential deal with Joshua Kushner and Joseph Meyer (married to the Kushners’ sister). Meyer, in a statement to the Washington Post, said: “Our family has been friends with Jeff Loria for over 30 years, been in business together, and even owned a AAA baseball team together. Although the Kushners have made substantial progress in discussions for us to purchase the Marlins, recent reports suggest that Mr. Loria will soon be nominated by the president to be ambassador to France.”

If Loria becomes the U.S. ambassador to the European country, it could raise questions about a possible quid pro quo involving the Trump administration.

“If that is true, we do not want this unrelated transaction to complicate that process and will not pursue it,” the statement added. “The Kushners remain interested in purchasing a team and would love to buy the Marlins at another time.”

Loria has been a supporter of the Republican Party as well as Trump’s candidacy, giving $125,000 to the Trump Victory super-political action committee in 2016 along with $2,700 to Trump’s campaign, Forbes reported. The American art dealer has also given $33,400 to the Republican National Committee and $84,660 to 20 state Republican Party groups.