TRUMP FACES TILLERSON TILT.

Exxon CEO’s ties to Russia concern GOP

WA SHINGTON • Donald Trump is inviting a clash in a narrowly divided Senate by selecting Exxon Mobile chief Rex Tillerson for secretary of state despite well-publicized concerns from several Republican senators over his ties to Russia.

The likely confirmation fight could be an early test of Trump’s sway over Congress, and demonstrate how much appetite there is among Republicans to stand up to their president.

For now, three Republican senators have publicly voiced concerns about the Tillerson nomination: Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida. All have cited the Exxon Mobil executive’s history of making deals in Russia and his close ties with Vladimir Putin, which include opposing sanctions sought by the U.S. and Europe against Russia after it invaded Crimea.

“While Rex Tillerson is a respected businessman, I have serious concerns about his nomination. The next secretary of state must be someone who views the world with moral clarity, is free of potential conflicts of interest, has a clear sense of America’s interests, and will be a forceful advocate for America’s foreign policy goals,” Rubio said.

Tillerson’s involvement in Russia dates back to 1998, when he was appointed head of Exxon Neftegas Limited, which was in charge of an oil and gas project off the coast of Siberia. The huge project put Tillerson in line to become the Exxon’s vice-president, president and eventually chairman and chief executive officer. It also led to deep relationships with Russian leaders and a growing profile for Tillerson in the Russian press.

At various times, Tillerson has criticized the U.S. sanctions against Russia. At ExxonMobil’s 2014 annual meeting, he said, “We do not support sanctions, generally, because we don’t find them to be effective unless they are very well implemented comprehensively, and that’s a very hard thing to do.”

Tillerson’s appointment comes in the middle of a separate but related controversy over Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign through hacking and other means.

“There are a number of senators who are hot to trot on the Russia issue, period. When you create a nexus between your State Department nominee and Russia, you’ve put it on steroids,” one senior GOP Senate staffer said. “The fact that members are even wrestling with this does not bode well for his nomination.”

Graham said he expects “U.S.-Russia relations to be front-and-centre in his confirmation process.”