Trump nominee withdraws in wake of Russia probe
WASHINGTON — Sam Clovis, a fiery Iowa talk radio host and former Trump campaign co-chairman who has been caught up in the special counsel’s Russia investigation, has withdrawn his name from consideration to be chief scientific adviser to the secretary of agriculture.
The nomination was already controversial because Clovis, 68, had no scientific or medical degrees or experience, and because court papers released Monday showed he had encouraged George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to the campaign, to arrange meetings between Trump’s aides and Russian officials.
Clovis removed himself from consideration days after he was questioned by investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, and by the federal grand jury taking evidence in the case, NBC News reported.
Papadopoulous has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with several Russians during the campaign. Court filings say they offered him disparaging information about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, including “thousands of emails,” as well as introductions to high-level officials in the Kremlin.
He kept people in the campaign, including Clovis, apprised of his efforts by email and apparently boasted of them on Facebook.
In a Nov. 1 letter to Trump, Clovis said the political climate in Washington “has made it impossible for me to receive balanced and fair consideration for this position,” and asked the president to withdraw his nomination as undersecretary of research, edu- cation and economics at the Agriculture Department.
The White House confirmed receiving the letter.
Clovis’ confirmation was in doubt before his role in the Russia probe emerged.
CNN dug up posts from his blog, “Impact with Sam Clovis,” from 2011 and 2012 that referred to “race traitor” liberals who he said want to enslave the country.
Clovis currently serves as a senior White House adviser for agriculture, a job that doesn’t require Senate confirmation, and he suggested that he would stay on.
Clovis helped bring Papadopoulos into the campaign last year and served as his supervisor, according to a former campaign official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Russia case.
Court documents show Papadopoulos traded emails with his supervisor about his calls and meetings with Russians, including an official who claimed to be from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and about a possible meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the documents, Papadopoulos wrote his supervisor in June 2016 that he was in contact with a Russian diplomat who was “asking me if Mr. Trump is inter- ested in visiting Russia at some point. Wanted to pass this info along to you for you to decide what’s best to do with it.”
In August, after the campaign decided Trump would not visit Russia, the supervisor urged Papadopoulos to organize an “off the record” meeting with Russian officials. “I would encourage you” to make a trip to Russia “if it is feasible,” he wrote. The trip never occurred.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have demanded an explanation from Attorney General Jeff Sessions over why he did not disclose a March 2016 gathering with then-candidate Trump and members of his campaign team at which Papadopoulos offered to set up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sessions’ participation in the gathering was detailed in court documents released Monday by Mueller. Papadopoulos, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Sessions had not previously disclosed the meeting, despite being asked over multiple appearances on Capitol Hill whether he or anyone on the campaign ever discussed meeting with Russians.