Perry to quit Cabinet
Not known yet when he’ll leave Cabinet job
The energ y secretary says he will resign./
Rick Perry, the energy secretary who has drawn scrutiny for his role in the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s efforts to push Ukraine officials to investigate the son of a political rival, on Thursday told the president he will resign from the Cabinet.
The Perry resignation had been anticipated for several weeks, even before news emerged of his involvement in efforts to pressure the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to investigate a company that had worked with Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
In the ensuing weeks, Perry has been drawn deeper into the questions around the pressure campaign on Zelenskiy, which has spurred an impeachment inquiry that threatens to engulf Trump’s presidency.
Perry told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday night that he was in contact with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, about Ukraine-related matters at the direction of Trump.
It is not known exactly when Perry will leave his post, but it is expected soon.
Perry has been instrumental in supporting what Trump has called a policy of U.S. “energy dominance,” which includes increasing the exports of U.S. fossil fuels to Ukraine and elsewhere. He oversaw a dramatic fossil fuels production increase.