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President-elect Donald Trump has picked ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state. Analysis of Trump's selection has drawn scrutiny to Tillerson's Russian business ties and possible impacts on the top U.S. diplomatic post. (Dec. 13) AP
In a file photo taken Oct. 7, 2015, ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson speaks at a conference in London. (Photo: Ben Stansall, AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s choice of ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson to be secretary of State is the first of his picks to draw sharp questions from Republicans in the Senate, a sign that his nomination may face the highest hurdles in the confirmation process. But Tillerson may not be the only one facing a tough road to Trump’s Cabinet.
The incoming administration can only afford to lose the support of two Republican senators for any confirmation vote, provided no Democrats cross the aisle, which appears unlikely. And Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina already have expressed reservations about Tillerson, in particular about his ties with Russia, the nation intelligence officials suspect of hacking and trying to influence the presidential election.
“Based upon his extensive business dealings with the Putin government and his previous opposition of efforts to impose sanctions on the Russian government, there are many questions which must be answered,” Graham said Tuesday. “I expect the U.S.-Russian relationship to be front and center in his confirmation process.”
Trump, in a sign he won’t shy away from a confirmation battle, held up Tillerson’s experience with Russia as an asset in his selection announcement. The statement lists his positions at Exxon since Tillerson began working there in 1975 and notes specifically his responsibilities overseeing holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea.
Trump announced his pick Tuesday morning. He had been mulling other candidates for weeks for the secretary of State post, including Mitt Romney and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
“Rex knows how to manage a global enterprise, which is crucial to running a successful State Department, and his relationships with leaders all over the world are second to none,” Trump said.
USA TODAY
Who is Rex Tillerson, Trump's secretary of State pick?
Tillerson may not be the only Trump Cabinet pick facing a challenging road ahead. Winning Senate confirmation is a multi-step process that includes much more than the actual hearings and votes. Each intended nominee must submit lengthy financial documentation, and the FBI does extensive background checks.
Max Stier, head of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the federal government, said the wealth of the individuals Trump has picked could complicate matters even further.
Among them are billionaires Wilbur Ross, a private equity executive whom Trump picked to lead the Commerce Department; Betsy DeVos, a philanthropist Trump chose for Education secretary; and Linda McMahon, co-founder of the WWE, whom Trump intends to nominate as head of the Small Business Administration. Tillerson is also at least a multimillionaire.
“This is a place where the Trump team could get themselves into big trouble,” Stier said. “Typically, a transition team will do a lot of vetting of candidates prior to announcing them and it’s unclear how much of that is occurring here.”
USA TODAY
Who has Trump picked for his Cabinet so far?
Every president since 1989 has lost at least one Cabinet nominee during the confirmation process. Most withdrew amid criticism; one was voted down outright. A look back at what derailed their nominations provides a glimpse at the types of issues that can come up in the vetting process — and that can sink nominees. Here are the seven failed nominees since 1989, according to Senate records:
John G. Tower
• Nominated by: President George H. W. Bush on Jan. 20, 1989
• Position: Defense
• Rejected: March 9, 1989 by a vote of 47-53
Tower, who had previously represented Texas in the Senate for 24 years, was the first Cabinet pick rejected by the Senate since 1959. Tower’s nomination failed amid allegations of womanizing and heavy drinking.
In this February 1989 file photo, President George H.W. Bush confers with John Tower during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. (Photo: Scott Applewhite, AP)
Zoe Baird
• Nominated by: President Bill Clinton on Jan. 21, 1993
• Position: Attorney general
• Withdrawn: Jan. 26, 1993
Baird, a corporate lawyer, withdrew after being caught up in “nannygate.” She had hired two undocumented immigrants as household help and had not paid Social Security taxes on their wages.
In this January 1993 file photo, Zoe Baird is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Photo: AP)
Anthony Lake
• Nominated by: President Bill Clinton on Jan. 9, 1997
• Position: CIA director
• Withdrawn: April 18, 1997
Lake, who had been Clinton’s national security adviser for four years, endured days of grilling by the Senate Intelligence Committee before withdrawing his nomination. Senators had expressed concerns about how his national security staff had handled White House contacts with foreign business interests who were contributing to the Democratic Party.
In this March 1997 file photo, Anthony Lake is sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP)
Hershel Gober
• Nominated by: President Bill Clinton on July 31, 1997
• Position: Veterans Affairs
• Withdrawn: Oct. 27, 1997
Gober, who had been deputy secretary at the VA, withdrew his nomination amid allegations of sexual harassment and questions about the agency's internal review of the accusations.
In this July 2000 file photo, President Bill Clinton listens to Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West Jr., right, after Clinton announced that West was stepping down and would be succeeded by his deputy, Hershel W. Gober, left. (Photo: Ron Edmonds, AP)
Linda Chavez
• Nominated by: President George W. Bush on Jan. 3, 2001
• Position: Labor
• Withdrawn: Jan. 9, 2001
Chavez, a conservative commentator and former head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Reagan administration, withdrew her nomination amid criticism of her providing housing and money to a Guatemalan immigrant in 1991 and 1992 who was in the country illegally.
In this January 2001 file photo, Linda Chavez tells reporters she is withdrawing as George W. Bush's nominee for secretary of Labor. (Photo: Doug Mills, AP)
Bernard Kerik
• Nominated by: President George W. Bush on Dec. 2, 2004
• Position: Homeland Security
• Withdrawn: Dec. 10, 2004
While assembling paperwork for his nomination, Kerik said he discovered he had employed a nanny and housekeeper who was in the country illegally, leading him to withdraw his nomination. He later served time in prison after pleading guilty to eight felonies, including tax fraud and lying to the White House while being vetted for the Homeland Security post.
In this December 2004 file photo, President George W. Bush shakes hands with Bernard Kerik after he nominated Kerik for the post of Homeland Security secretary. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski, AFP)
Tom Daschle
• Nominated by: President Obama on Dec. 11, 2008
• Position: Health & Human Services
• Withdrawn: Feb. 9, 2009
Daschle, a former senator from South Dakota, withdrew his nomination after revealing he had failed to pay more than $120,000 in taxes and amid questions about potential conflicts of interest related to speaking fees he accepted from health care interests. He had also provided advice to health insurers and hospitals as part of his work at a law firm after leaving the Senate.
In this December 2008 file photo, President-elect Obama stands with Tom Daschle at a __news conference in Chicago. (Photo: Charles Dharapak, AP)
USA TODAY
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson's ties to Russia worry GOP, too
USA TODAY
Analysis: Trump's Cabinet dubbed 'Goldman, generals and gazillionaires'
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