Like all his recent predecessors, President Barack Obama is appointing old friends and big party donors to diplomatic posts across the globe. The most recent example is his nomination of Beatrice Wilkinson Welters in November of 2009 to be the next ambassador to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Wilkerson, her husband Anthony, and their then-teenaged sons all contributed the maximum amount of $2,300 to Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, the Welters gave $100,000 to the Obama inauguration and “bundled” contributions of at least $500,000 to Obama.
Born circa 1951, Welters earned an A.A. from Ulster County Community College,a B.A. from Manhattanville College and an M.A. from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York. She worked at IBM from 1977 to 1991, where she held several positions, including systems engineer.
In 1989, Welters’ husband founded
AmeriChoice, which provides health care plans for government programs in 22 states, specializing in Medicaid patients. In 2007, AmeriChoice was bought out by
UnitedHealth Group, of which Anthoony Welters is executive vice-president and president of its Senior Markets Group. The Welters have two sons, Bryant and Andrew.
Since 1989, the Welters have donated $571,500 to federal candidates, committees and leadership PACs. Although the Welters have contributed mainly to Democrats, more than 30 percent of their donations have gone to Republican candidates, party committees and leadership PACs. For example, Welters and her husband donated $6,000 to Republican President George W. Bush’s campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Anthony Welters also gave former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani $2,300 during his failed 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.