John Bonnell Emerson (born January 11, 1954) is an American diplomat, lawyer, business executive and the former United States Ambassador to Germany, having served from 2013 to 2017.

[2] Emerson was the 2015 recipient of the State Department’s Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service, which is given annually to a non-career ambassador who has used private sector leadership and management skills to make a significant impact on bilateral or multilateral relations through proactive diplomacy.

After questioning Hart about his weekend with Donna Rice when the story of their extramarital affair broke, Emerson said to another top aide, “I’m a team player.

But I’m not buying this shit.”[7] Emerson was played by Tommy Dewey in Jason Reitman’s film about the scandal, The Front Runner, starring Hugh Jackman in the title role.

In that role he served as liaison to the nation’s governors and coordinated the administration’s efforts to obtain congressional approval of the Uruguay Round of the GATT trade agreement.

[13] During his tenure at the White House, Emerson was acknowledged as the president’s chief liaison in handling California issues such as the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

[30] Before and after moving to Germany Emerson and his wife were active in civic affairs, serving on a number of non-profit boards including the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the American Council on Germany (as Chairman), the German Marshall Fund, American Friends of the Munich Security Conference, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Buckley School and Marlborough School.