US President Barack Obama has proposed appointing eight of his re-election campaign's biggest fundraisers to ambassadorial posts, The Hill has calculated. He is continuing the common practice of appointing politicians or campaign activists rather than career diplomats, the American Foreign Service Association notes. According to the association, as of July 19, there were 187 ambassadors (excluding special envoys), of whom 57 were political appointees.

Since the beginning of the year, after his reelection, Obama has proposed appointing several people who actively raised money for him as ambassadors. Thus, Denise Bauer from Women for Obama raised $2.36 million and was nominated by the president for the post of ambassador to Belgium. According to the president’s plans, Crystal Nix Heanes, a classmate of Michelle Obama, who raised $477,000 for the campaign, should represent the United States at UNESCO.

The most discussed figures in the media remain the ambassadors to France and Great Britain. Immediately after Obama's re-election, American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who raised $2.68 million, was tipped for both positions. However, Matthew Barzun, who headed Obama's campaign fundraising, was ultimately proposed for London. Barzun personally raised $2.31 million, and his department raised $700 million. Another campaigner responsible for finance, Rufus Gifford, was proposed for the post of ambassador to Denmark. The New York Times revealed the figures on the collections.

Jan Stetson, the heiress of the founder of IBM, who raised $2.43 million, may be appointed to the post of ambassador to France. Another political appointee is the retired former vice-president of JPMorgan, Azita Raji, who raised $3.15 million for Obama. He has been nominated as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. According to The Guardian, the average "price" of the post is $1.8 million.

Those considered for ambassadorship include not only the president's active fundraisers but also his political allies and party heavyweights. Caroline Kennedy, who played a significant role in Obama's 2008 bid, is slated to be sent to Japan.

Former US Ambassador Thomas Pickering called the system of appointing supporters and active campaigners as ambassadors a three-and-a-half-year rent that appointees receive in pleasant places in an interview with The Guardian. According to Pickering, such appointments reduce the effectiveness of work. Former State Department spokesman Philip Crowley counters that people who have not risen through the career ladder in the State Department can be no less effective.

The appointment of politicians as ambassadors is a common international practice, throughout the 20th century it was also used in Europe, says Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Petr Stegniy, all ambassadors conduct presidential policy, their choice is the prerogative of the president. In Russia, political appointees work, for example, in the CIS countries: former Social Minister Mikhail Zurabov - in Ukraine, former Chairman of the Central Election Commission Alexander Veshnyakov - in Latvia.

But there have been several scandals involving Obama donor ambassadors: representatives in the Bahamas and Luxembourg, Nicole Avant and Cynthia Strum, have left their posts. The former, who previously worked in the music industry, was absent from the embassy for 276 days, The Telegraph cites a State Department report. And Strum, according to the department's report, was aggressive and humiliated employees.

Such decisions on appointing ambassadors can be a conflict of interest if appointments are made based on the president's personal considerations rather than the merits of the appointees, but there are no international rules or restrictions on this matter, says Ivan Ninenko of Transparency International's Russian branch.

Collected money - and ambassador