After almost a year in the White House counsel’s office tackling a raft of ethics and financial disclosure issues, James Schultz resigned last week and is returning to private practice at the Philadelphia-based law firm where he previously worked, Cozen O’Connor.
Schultz insists his exit is unrelated to any of those myriad controversies, but simply triggered by a desire to get back to private law work and back to Philadelphia, where his family has remained.
The senior State Department official charged with overseeing U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s effort to overhaul the agency has resigned after just three months on the job, according to a department official.
Maliz Beams was named counselor to the department on Aug. 17, according to her biography on the State Department’s website. She has decided to return to her home in Boston, and Christine Ciccone, Tillerson’s deputy chief of staff, will step in to lead the redesign effort, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.
Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday that the Trump administration’s proposal to slash the state department and foreign aid budget is partly based on an expectation it will be able to resolve some of the global conflicts that have been absorbing costly diplomatic and humanitarian support.
My take, exactly. Otherwise I’d be flying off the handle, but they’ve already been hamstrung and it was just a matter of time until the whole thing gets nuked.
Oh, I am plenty upset by the demise of the CFPB. But it is going to happen no matter what is the outcome of the “Acting Director” drama, so I’m not wasting time being upset by that part of it.
Yeah, sorry if I was misunderstood - the slow loss of the CFPB is nothing but a terrible thing. It’s just this was something which from my perspective was a forgone conclusion after last November and thus far nothing has changed its trajectory.
The CIA chief becoming the head diplomat for the country seems a little… off. Of course, this is the Trump administration so instead it’s a little terrifying.
Thus far, there’s been a VERY weak denial of Tillerson getting shoved aside for Pompeo. However, it just seems like a matter of time unless the blowback has really stopped it from taking place.
I was just discussing this with someone else; my theory is it’s an effort from Kelly, et al to get someone they like in at the CIA, and moving Pompeo to a hamstrung State Department was a cost they’re willing to accept.
