Trump Personnel Chief Confirms Soviet Union Birth, Holds US Security Clearance

Sergio Gor, President Donald Trump’s director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, then part of the Soviet Union, contradicting earlier claims that he was from Malta. Despite overseeing the vetting and appointment of thousands of officials in the Trump administration, Gor was initially reluctant to disclose his birthplace, only stating it was not Russia. Investigations by the Times of Malta and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project confirmed his birth name as Sergio Gorokhovsky and verified his origins through notarized Maltese property records. Gor spent part of his childhood in Malta, where his mother, an Israeli national, registered a company and owned property, which Gor later purchased to maintain the family home. His lawyer and White House officials have confirmed his birthplace and stated he completed the required security clearance paperwork, though the full status of his clearance remains unclear. Gor’s significant role in Trump’s administration and his background have sparked curiosity and scrutiny in Washington, highlighting tensions over vetting processes for political appointees.