Dan Newlin
{{Short description|American diplomat (born 1974)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = United States Ambassador to Colombia
Nominee
| term_start = TBD
| term_end =
| president = Donald Trump
| succeeding = John McNamara (Acting)
| successor =
| name = Dan Newlin
| image = Attorney Dan Newlin US Ambassador to Colombia.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2025
| birth_name = Daniel James Newlin
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|3|1|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| party = Republican
| occupation = {{hlist|Lawyer|law enforcement officer| philanthropist}}
| spouse =
| children = 1
| education = Florida State University (JD)
| module = {{Infobox police officer
| embed = yes
| allegiance = Orange County, Florida
| department = Orange County Sheriff's Office
| serviceyears = 1998–2018
| rank = Detective}}
}}
Daniel James Newlin (born March 1, 1974) is an American attorney, businessman, and former law enforcement officer who is the nominee for United States ambassador to Colombia.{{Cite web |last=Ogles |first=Jacob |date=2024-12-12 |title=Donald Trump names Dan Newlin as Ambassador to Colombia |url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/711698-donald-trump-names-dan-newlin-as-ambassador-to-colombia/ |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=Florida Politics |language=en-US}} He previously served as an Orange County deputy sheriff from 1998 to 2018. He founded Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys, a Florida and Illinois-based injury law firm, in 2001.{{Cite web|url= https://newsdaytonabeach.com/stories/trump-names-dan-newlin-as-his-ambassador-to-colombia,98553 |title=Trump Names Dan Newlin as His Ambassador to Colombia}}
Early life and career
Daniel James Newlin was born on March 1, 1974, in South Chicago to his steelworker father and school teacher mother and was raised in Valparaiso, Indiana.{{Cite web |last=joshjacoby |title=Dan Newlin |url=https://aiolp.org/lawyer/dan-newlin/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=American Institute of Legal Professionals |language=en-US}}
He served in the Orange County Sheriff's Office from 1998 to 2018, reaching the rank of fugitive detective. Over the course of his career, he earned awards, medals, and commendations for his bravery and dedication to service.{{cite news |last=Fernandez |first=Frank |date=December 12, 2024 |url=https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2024/12/12/trump-names-personal-injury-attorney-dan-newlin-ambassador-to-colombia/76941287007/ |title=Updated: Personal injury lawyer Dan Newlin accepts Trump's offer as ambassador to Colombia |work=The Daytona Beach News-Journal |access-date=December 13, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Dorn |first1=Sara |last2=Pequeño |first2=Antonio |date=December 12, 2024 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/12/12/trumps-cabinet-and-key-jobs-kari-lake-jacob-helberg-and-leandro-rizzuto-jr-are-latest-picks/ |title=Trump's Cabinet And Key Jobs: Kari Lake, Jacob Helberg And Leandro Rizzuto Jr. Are Latest Picks |work=Forbes |access-date=December 13, 2024}} Newlin graduated from the Florida State University College of Law in December 2000.{{cite news |last=Bridges |first=C.A. |date=December 12, 2024 |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/12/12/trump-dan-newlin-kimberly-guilfoyle-peter-lamelas-ambassador/76940712007/ |title=Trump's ambassadors from Florida: Who are Dan Newlin, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Peter Lamelas? |work=The Palm Beach Post |access-date=December 13, 2024}} He has been a personal injury attorney in the Central Florida region since 2001.{{cite news |last=Babetski |first=Adam |date=October 31, 2024 |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/election-2024/2024/10/31/dan-newlin-pittsburgh-billboards-election/stories/202410300059 |title=Florida personal injury attorney behind pro-Trump billboards lining Western Pa. |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=December 13, 2024}}
In addition to his law enforcement career, Newlin founded Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys and has grown the firm into the second largest personal injury law firm in the country.{{Cite web |title=Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys {{!}} BBB Business Profile {{!}} Better Business Bureau |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/orlando/profile/lawyers/dan-newlin-injury-attorneys-0733-90121379 |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.bbb.org |language=en}}
Politics
For years, Newlin supported Democratic political candidates, including a $5,400 contribution to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and a $150,000 donation to the Florida Democratic Party in 2018. In 2022, he shifted his support and made several large political contributions to Republican candidates.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=Meet the G.O.P. Personal Injury Lawyer Buying His Own Trump Ads |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/politics/trump-ads-dan-newlin.html}} During the 2024 presidential election, Newlin donated $1 million to the family of Corey Comperatore{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=FOX 35 Digital |date=2024-07-18 |title=Who is Dan Newlin? Donald Trump accepts $1 million check for victims of assassination attempt |url=https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/who-is-dan-newlin-donald-trump-accepts-1-million-check-victims-assassination-attempt |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=FOX 35 Orlando |language=en-US}} and spent at least $3 million on campaign advertisements for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=Meet the G.O.P. Personal Injury Lawyer Buying His Own Trump Ads |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/politics/trump-ads-dan-newlin.html}}
In December 2021, Newlin organized a concert with country artists including Toby Keith, Clay Walker, and Trace Adkins to honor military personnel from every branch in Orlando in which Trump participated.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-04 |title=Attorney Dan Newlin teams up with country superstars for free Orlando concert |url=https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/attorney-dan-newlin-teams-up-with-country-superstars-for-free-orlando-concert |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=FOX 35 Orlando |language=en-US}} From 2021 to 2024, Newlin worked full time traveling across the country, focusing primarily on swing states, to rally support for Trump’s campaign producing and running his own ad campaign for Trump.{{Cite web |last=DeForest |first=Mike |date=2024-07-19 |title=‘Ready to go full tilt:’ Orlando attorneys Dan Newlin, John Morgan to assist presidential candidates |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/results-2024/2024/07/19/ready-to-go-full-tilt-orlando-attorneys-to-assist-presidential-candidates/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=WKMG |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=FlaglerLive |date=2024-12-12 |title=Trump Names Attorney and Big Donor Dan Newlin Ambassador to Colombia |url=https://flaglerlive.com/trump-newlin/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=FlaglerLive |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Holfeld |first=Mike |date=2024-04-04 |title=Orlando attorney Dan Newlin hosting Trump campaign fundraiser |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/results-2024/2024/04/04/orlando-attorney-dan-newlin-hosting-trump-campaign-fundraiser/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=WKMG |language=en}}
Nomination as ambassador
On December 11, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Newlin as the next ambassador to Colombia.{{cite news |last1=Weissert |first1=Will |last2=Cooper |first2=Jonathan |date=December 11, 2024 |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-kari-lake-voice-of-america-ambassadors-e894cf2e84791b35528baa0cbdd66b22 |title=Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America |work=Associated Press |access-date=December 13, 2024}}{{cite news |last=Bazail-Eimil |first=Eric |date=December 11, 2024 |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/11/congress/trump-lat-am-picks-00193918 |title=Trump fills out more of his Latin American diplomatic team |work=Politico |access-date=December 13, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Kelsey |last2=Kim |first2=Soo |last3=Ibssa |first3=Lalee |date=December 11, 2024 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-kari-lake-director-voice-america-donors-ambassadors/story?id=116709798 |title=Trump names Kari Lake director of Voice of America, picks donors for ambassadorships |work=ABC News |access-date=December 13, 2024}} Newlin responded to the announcement by saying he was "proud and honored to have the opportunity”.{{cite news |last=Fox |first=Greg |date=December 13, 2024 |url=https://www.wesh.com/article/central-florida-attorney-daniel-j-newlin-ambassador-to-colombia-nomination/63176200 |title=Central Florida attorney Daniel J. Newlin addresses his nomination as ambassador to Colombia |work=WESH |access-date=December 13, 2024}}
Personal life
Newlin has a daughter.{{cite news |url=https://aiolp.org/lawyer/dan-newlin/ |title=Dan Newlin |work=American Institute of Legal Professionals |access-date=December 13, 2024}} He lives in Windermere, Florida, and owns a ranch in Colombia.{{cite news |last1=Bensinger |first1=Ken |last2=Nehamas |first2=Nicholas |last3=Schleifer |first3=Theodore |date=December 13, 2024 |title=Meet the G.O.P. Personal Injury Lawyer Buying His Own Trump Ads |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/politics/trump-ads-dan-newlin.html |access-date=December 13, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}