A top “Maltese” aide to US President Donald Trump was actually born in the Soviet Union, documents show.
Questions have been swirling in Washington D.C about the true origins of Sergio Gor, after US media reported his reluctance to reveal his place of birth to journalists, other than to say it was “not Russia”.
Property records obtained by Times of Malta reveal how Gor, whose birth name is Gorokhovsky, was born in “Tashkent, USSR”.
At the time of his birth in 1986, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, formed part of the Soviet Union, which broke up in 1991.
Scrutiny over his country of birth increased over the past few months, as Gor got on with vetting thousands of people appointed by the Trump administration.
Gor’s role as Trump’s director of presidential personnel has seen him described by the Washington Post as “maybe the most powerful man you’ve never heard of”.
A profile by the Post described Gor as an “immigrant from the small Mediterranean archipelago of Malta”.
Media coverage has filled in much of his biography with one exception, his birthplace.
Gor’s lawyer, Robert Garson, confirmed to Times of Malta and OCCRP by email that his client was born in Tashkent.
The Trump aide appears to have long identified himself as being “Maltese”, having moved to Cospicua at a young age.
Move to Malta
His lawyer said Gor’s earliest memories are of Malta.
Corporate records show his mother Liya Gorokhovsky opened a Maltese company in 1994, where she was registered as an Israeli national.
Property records show Gor bought a house in Cospicua for €255,000 in 2021.
The house was Gor’s family home and was owned by his mother, who has since died, Gor’s lawyer said.
In comments to Times of Malta, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg vouched for Gor’s links with Malta.
“He received his education here, speaks fluent Maltese, and maintains deep and lasting connections to the country.
“Whenever I meet members of the community in Cottonera, they often tell me how involved he is in local life; from participating in social events to supporting village festas and other traditions. His commitment to the community is heartfelt and genuine”, Borg said.
A spokesperson for De La Salle College confirmed Gor was enrolled at the school between 1996 and 1999.
Trump orbit, trip to Russia
Gor’s path to politics after immigrating to the U.S eventually led to a job with Republican Senator Rand Paul and into Trump’s orbit.
One of his activities with Paul was a trip to Moscow in 2018 funded by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington D.C.
The visit was characterised as a “fact-finding trip to research, discuss and explore issues related to Russia and the U.S.”
Gor had also traveled to Moscow the year before, according to leaked Russian border records obtained by OCCRP. He flew from Washington D.C. to Moscow with the Russian state carrier Aeroflot, and left the next day for Rome.
Sergio Gor (second from left) alongside other prominent members of Trump’s inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr (third from left) and Vice-President JD Vance (centre). Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images/AFPGarson explained that Gor is “an avid traveler.”
“This was a connection flight and apropos of nothing,” he said. “Mr. Gor had no meetings, and any implications otherwise would be malicious and defamatory.”
Gor left Paul’s office in 2020 to work as chief of staff for the Trump Victory Finance Committee.
He also co-founded a conservative publishing company with Donald Trump Jr. called Winning Team Publishing.
In 2022, Gor purchased a $3.2 million property with a boat dock and an elevator, not far from Trump’s Palm Beach residence. Palm Beach property documentation accessed by reporters did not show a record of any mortgage on the estate.
Gor’s lawyer said his client earned money to buy the estate through the publishing company he co-founded, his political consulting, and by selling his previous home in Virginia.
“Mr. Gor harnessed the American Dream and is fortunate to have owned multiple successful businesses in the United States,” the lawyer added.
Gor reportedly earned the nickname ‘Mayor of Mar-a-Lago’, for his constant presence at Trump’s social gatherings.