Mark Burns quietly became one of Trump's key diplomats. Issues at home continue to haunt him.

EASLEY — The sun was streaming upon Kyiv’s Independence Square as Mark Burns — the controversial small town South Carolina pastor and several-time Republican candidate for Congress — stood beneath a clear blue sky, waiting his turn to be recognized.

Burns had been a busy man since his close friend and confidante, President Donald Trump, retook the White House in January. According to court documents, Burns had been crisscrossing the planet at the request of the U.S. Department of State as a self-billed “spiritual diplomat,” holding court with everyone from regional leaders in West Africa to top officials for the South Korean government. His most important work, however, had taken place in Ukraine, where Burns had made several trips seeking to maintain strained relations between Trump an