ExxonMobil’s Tillerson picked for US secretary of state
US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump yesterday tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his nominee to be secretary of state, despite concerns on both sides of the political aisle about the oilman’s deep ties to Russia.
Trump promised that the executive, whose nomination was immediately welcomed by Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, has relationships with world leaders that are “second to none”.
The nomination came just days after the CIA accused Russia of interfering to help Trump win the US election – a development which could complicate Tillerson’s confirmation hearings before the Senate.
As ExxonMobil CEO, Tillerson was a vocal opponent of sanctions that thwarted his attempt to strike huge oil deals in the Russian Arctic.
In 2013, Tillerson was awarded Russia’s Order of Friendship by President Vladimir Putin following several years of Exxon projects in the country.
Trump said Tillerson “will be a forceful and clear-eyed advocate for America’s vital national interests, and help reverse years of misguided foreign policies and actions that have weakened America’s security and standing in the world”.
In reaction, a senior Kremlin aide said Putin and other Russians have “good, business-like relations” with Tillerson and praised him as a “very solid figure”.
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Tillerson has spent his entire career at Exxon, which he joined in 1975. As ExxonMobil’s president and chief executive, the 64-year-old Texan oversees the company’s business activities in more than 50 countries. Appointed CEO in 2006, he was due to retire in March.
“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.
US media have been reporting for days on secret CIA findings that Moscow sought to bolster Trump’s election bid against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton by releasing hacked Democratic Party documents. Tillerson – who has no formal foreign policy background – is sure to face sharp questions in the Senate confirmation hearings.
Senior Republican Senator John McCain has said Tillerson’s ties to Putin are “a matter of concern”.
“Vladimir Putin is a thug, bully and a murderer, and anybody else who describes him as anything else is lying,” McCain said before the nomination was formalised.
Leading senators including McCain on Monday threw their backing behind a congressional investigation into US intelligence assessments on Russia election interference, putting top Republicans on a collision course with the incoming president.
The president-elect has dismissed the intelligence reports about Russian interference as “ridiculous”, defying an increasing number of senators from his own party, as well as top Democrats, the Central Intelligence Agency and the outgoing White House.
The president-elect also said late on Monday that his businesses would steer clear of negotiating new deals during his White House tenure.
“No new deals will be done during my term(s) in office,” he said, adding that he would be leaving his businesses before taking office and that his two adult sons would manage his companies.
Critics argue that it would be an unprecedented ethical conflict for Trump to maintain interest in properties spanning the globe -- investments that rely partly on goodwill from foreign governments and regulators.