An inside look at how to buy an ambassadorship

The fact that wealthy political donors can buy their way into an ambassadorship is perhaps the worst kept secret in Washington. It’s bi-partisan, entirely commonplace, and the kind of casual corruption that hardly raises an eyebrow.

That said, we rarely get a look at exactly how the process unfolds. Fortunately, one of Bush’s more enthusiastic financial backers tried to buy an ambassadorship, had some trouble, and wrote some letters about his difficulties — which ended up in the hands of the AP.

A big Republican donor goes to his governor and senator, saying he was told by President Bush’s chief fund-raiser he’d be getting a plum ambassadorial appointment but it wasn’t delivered. The senator takes his case right to the top of the White House.

Nothing happens for two years.

The donor then helps stage a fund-raiser for Bush. A week later, the donor lands an appointment as the chairman of the federal board overseeing billions of dollars of student loans.

The donor is a Nebraska businessman named Duane Acklie, whose correspondence asking about the status of his president appointment actually named names about the the government officials who were responsible for the “transaction.”

Acklie had been writing to then-Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns (now Agriculture Secretary) about what he expected in return for his contributions.

“My only interest, if I am going to serve, would be in serving as an ambassador or in a position involving trade,” Acklie wrote in a May 2001 “Dear Mike” letter to then-Gov. Johanns. The letter was contained in the official gubernatorial correspondence obtained by The Associated Press under Nebraska’s open records law.

More embarrassing for the White House, one of Acklie’s letters points directly to Bush fund-raiser Jack Oliver, who apparently helped coordinate the ambassadorship-for-cash process.

“Jack Oliver told me several weeks ago that he was informed that I would not receive one of the eight major ambassadorships but would be receiving an ambassadorship,” Acklie wrote.

The owner of Crete Carrier Corp., a major trucking company, even wondered aloud why he hadn’t yet landed an ambassadorship when other Republicans who helped elect Bush in 2000 had already gotten theirs.

“Most of the appointments have been made. That is perfectly OK, and if others have done more work for the party, are better qualified or have helped the Bush team more, I certainly understand,” Acklie wrote. “I don’t understand why I haven’t heard a single thing after Jack Oliver’s comment to me.”

Oops.

Granted, there’s probably no big scandal here. If there was evidence of Oliver telling Acklie to raise a specific amount of money in exchange for a specific government post, then we’d be having some real fun. As it is, this is more of just an illuminating example of what wealthy campaign contributors can buy in terms of access and rewards.

And as for poor Mr. Acklie, it seems the guy couldn’t catch a break. First he tried to buy an ambassadorship, but had some trouble. Then, after organizing a $400,000-fundraiser for Dick Cheney, Acklie was nominated for a post on the Student Loan Marketing Association’s board of directors as its designated chairman. Which was great — right up until Bush dissolved the board a year later.

Sounds like the kind of guy my Dad would call a schlimazel.