President Biden on Wednesday announced he will nominate Jane Hartley, a major Democrat fundraiser, as ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Ms. Hartley, who served as the U.S. ambassador to France during the Obama administration, raised money for both former President Obama and Mr. Biden during their presidential runs.
According to data from the Washington Post, the Partnership for Public Service, and Open Secrets, Mr. Biden has nominated 25 top fundraisers or their spouses to become ambassadors. That represents 29% of his ambassador nominees, the research concluded.
Mr. Biden on Wednesday also announced his intent to nominate fundraiser Alan Leventhal, the chairman, and CEO of real estate firm Beacon Capital Partners, to serve as ambassador to Denmark.
Ms. Hartley previously served as the CEO of the Observatory Group, an economic and political advisory firm, and ran the G7 Group, a political analysis and research firm. She was also an aide in the Carter administration.
During her tenure as ambassador to France, Ms. Hartley coordinated with Paris and Washington to provide diplomatic assistance in the wake of the 2015 Charlie Hedbo terrorist attack.
“She arrived in Paris shortly before the Charlie Hebdo attack and served through the Bataclan and Nice attacks. Hartley subsequently received the Legion of Honor from the President of France in recognition of her efforts,” the White House said in a statement.
The United Kingdom ambassador post is one of the most sought-after positions in any administration. However, at least two candidates turned it down last year, including former New York Mayor Micheal Bloomberg.
Mr. Biden also announced his intent to nominate Elizabeth Bagley, who worked with secretaries of State John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Madeline Albright to serve as ambassador to Brazil.
He will also nominate Alexander Laskaris, a career foreign service official and current senior advisor in the Bureau of African Affairs to serve as ambassador to Chad.
Nearly 40 ambassador nominees were confirmed by the Senate late last year, ending Republican efforts to block the president’s nominations. Still, Mr. Biden sent fewer ambassador nominees to the Senate compared to previous administrations.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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