Sam Clovis withdrew his name to become the Department of Agriculture’s chief scientist Thursday, just days after the former Trump campaign official became linked to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
News reports earlier this week revealed George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign official who pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian officials, had been emailing Clovis during the 2016 election.
Clovis also came under fire for his lack of credentials for the agriculture post, which is usually held by someone with advanced degrees in science or medicine.
In a letter to President Trump, Clovis said he doesn’t want “to be a distraction.”
”The political climate inside Washington has made it impossible for me to receive balanced and fair consideration for this position,” Clovis wrote. “The relentless assaults on you and your team seem to be a blood sport that only increases in intensity each day.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “We respect Mr. Clovis’ decision to withdraw his nomination.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, called his withdrawal a “victory for science and our farmers who rely on agricultural research.”
Stabenow (D-Mich.) said his “lack of qualifications and long history of politically divisive statements were disqualifying, and the recent news surrounding his time as co-chair of the Trump campaign has raised even more questions.”
Clovis was an economics professor at an Iowa college before joining the Trump campaign.
The Washington Post revealed that Clovis was the “Campaign Supervisor” Papadopoulos told in March 2016 that he had been in contact with Russian officials who wanted to talk about relations with Moscow during a Trump presidency.
Clovis wrote back to Papadopoulos, “Great work.”
In later emails, Clovis encouraged Papadopoulos to travel to Russia on his own to court Russian officials.
With Post wires
