Hilcorp owner's wife to be 'praying ambassador'

Billionaire Mindy Hildebrand, wife of Hilcorp owner Jeff Hildebrand, answered questions in her confirmation hearing to be ambassador to Costa Rica by rephrasing them as declarative statements.

The few members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who bothered to show up for the September 3 hearing didn’t press for any real answers from the nominee, who promised to be a “praying ambassador.”

“If confirmed, I will be a praying ambassador, specifically praying for President Trump, for Americans that live, work or are visiting Costa Rica, for the residents of Costa Rica, and for God’s grace and guidance as an ambassador,” she said.

The Hildebrands are major Trump donors. Hildebrand joins the ranks of others rewarded with diplomatic positions, including former football star Herschel Walker, now ambassador to the Bahamas; Newt Gingrich’s third wife, Calista, now the ambassador to Switzerland; and ex-con Charles Kushner, now ambassador to France.

I am late getting to Hildebrand’s appointment, but her family has an immense financial impact on Alaska and it’s important to note that she did not answer direct questions about Costa Rica.

The Senate confirmed Hildebrand on October 7, along with dozens of other appointments, with no real debate. The vote was 51-47 with Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan voting yes.

During her hearing, Committee Chairman Idaho Sen. James Risch asked Hildebrand why Costa Rica stands out from its neighbors and to explain her view on the political and socioeconomic state of affairs in that nation.

“Maybe you could enlighten us a little bit on that?” Risch asked.

“The political state of affairs between the United States and Costa Rica is strong. They’re our strongest trading partner. And I look forward to exploring additional opportunities to strengthen those ties.”

“As far as your question as to why Costa Rica stands out, I look forward to working with you and this committee to explore those reasons. I know that Costa Rica serves as an example to Central America and I hope that other countries will take their lead,” she said.

“That’s good,” said Risch, adding that he agreed with her.

Sen. Ted Cruz introduced fellow Texan Hildebrand as a “dear friend” and said he could not think of anyone more qualified to serve as ambassador to Costa Rica. He said that eating tasty donuts at her small Houston business, River Oaks Donuts, had added to his waistline over the years.

Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska asked her about what specific steps she would take to stop Costa Rica from becoming a hub for synthetic drugs.

“Costa Rica is a strong partner in the fight against drug trafficking in that region. I understand that the embassy works closely with the national and border police in Costa Rica to counter these efforts. If I am confirmed I will continue that strong partnership with Costa Rica to counter drug trafficking,” she said.

Cruz asked her what policies the U.S. should pursue to help Costa Rica resist Chinese “aggression” in Costa Rica.

She looked at a document she was holding and read from it,.

“Chinese expansion into the Western Hemisphere is a threat to national security and to our prosperity. We cannot allow the CCP to control our critical supply chains. Maintaining ties with U.S. and Costa Rica is essential. If confirmed, I will work with the Costa Rican government, the public and private sectors to counter the CCP influence and support their use of trusted vendors especially when it comes to implementing the 5G technology,” she said.

Cruz asked her how her background “has equipped you for this role.”

“I think my service on boards and philanthropy, as a small business owner and also being a partner in building multiple large businesses equips me for this role. If I am confirmed I hope that I take my interests in education and prevention programs for high-risk behaviors and the support that we’ve lended to organizations that assist those that have been trafficked. I hope to make a difference in those areas at a much higher level if I am confirmed to be the ambassador to Costa Rica,” she said.=

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