Warren pledges not to give diplomatic posts to donors

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Friday unveiled her plan to improve the State Department, which included a pledge not to give ambassador posts to wealthy donors. 

“I’m pledging to put America’s national interests ahead of campaign donations and end the corrupt practice of selling cushy diplomatic posts to wealthy donors — and I call on everyone running for President to do the same,” Warren wrote in a Medium post. “I won’t give ambassadorial posts to wealthy donors or bundlers — period.”

{mosads}Warren also said she would double the size of the foreign service and expand its reach to “underserved areas to broaden U.S. presence.” 

The Massachusetts Democrat said she would particularly expand recruiting efforts to minority-serving institutions such as historically black colleges and universities, women’s colleges, and community colleges. She plans to double the size of fellowships aimed at recruiting minority and low-income diplomats.

Warren also proposed creating an ROTC-like plan for the State Department and doubling the size of the Peace Corps. 

“We can create a bold and energetic diplomatic corps that looks more like the country it represents — and we can invest in diplomacy to make the world a little safer and a little more secure,” she wrote in the Medium post.

She accused President Trump of replacing skilled diplomats with “unqualified campaign donors” and other cronies. 

“Through a toxic combination of malice and neglect, Donald Trump has declared war on the State Department,” she wrote. 

Warren is among more than two dozen people vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Her campaign has seen momentum in recent weeks.