WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A former Trump campaign official linked to the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller has withdrawn his nomination as the Agriculture Department\u2019s chief scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sam Clovis, a former Trump campaign national co-chairman and chief policy adviser, wrote in a letter Thursday to President Donald Trump that he does \u201cnot want to be a distraction or a negative influence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Questions had been raised about Clovis\u2019 qualifications for the administration post. He is a self-described skeptic of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republicans were preparing to hold a hearing on his nomination next week. But it was revealed this week that Clovis had communications with George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser who has admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were some questions that our distinguished ranking member had for him that I think under the circumstances \u2014 and given the votes \u2014 his decision was a good one,\u201d said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Agriculture Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The panel\u2019s top Democrat, Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, said Clovis\u2019 decision to back out was \u201cthe right thing to do,\u201d adding he \u201cmaybe, barely\u201d had the votes to win confirmation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his letter, Clovis said the political climate in Washington \u201chas made it impossible for me to receive balanced and fair consideration for this position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe relentless assaults on you and your team seem to be a blood sport that only increases in intensity each day,\u201d Clovis wrote to Trump. \u201cAs I am focused on your success and the success of this administration, I do not want to be a distraction or negative influence, particularly with so much important work left to do for the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: \u201cWe respect Mr. Clovis\u2019 decision to withdraw his nomination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stabenow said Clovis\u2019 withdrawal was a \u201cvictory for science and our farmers who rely on agricultural research.\u201d Stabenow said Clovis\u2019 \u201clack of qualifications and long history of politically divisive statements were disqualifying, and the recent news surrounding his time as co-chair of the Trump campaign has raised even more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union of Concerned Scientists, which helped organize a letter signed by more than 3,000 scientists opposing Clovis\u2019 nomination, said he had \u201cfailed to meet the most basic legal qualifications to serve as the chief scientist at the USDA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clovis was a professor of economics at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, before he joined the Trump campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lawyer representing Clovis confirmed this week that Clovis was the person, identified as the \u201cCampaign Supervisor\u201d in court papers, who brought Papadopoulos onto an advisory committee on national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In court papers, the unnamed supervisor receives some of Papadopoulos\u2019 email exchanges about his attempts to line up a meeting with the Russians, appearing to encourage the effort at one point by responding \u201cGreat work.\u201d He also later encouraged Papadopoulos to travel to Russia on his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawyer\u2019s statement said Clovis opposed any trip to Russia for Trump or his campaign staff, but noted that Clovis may not have made his opposition known when \u201ca volunteer made suggestions on a foreign policy matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If his nomination had been confirmed, Clovis would have overseen the department\u2019s nearly $3 billion investment in research and education grants. He would have helped set the research priorities for the department and ensure that research is conducted with integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2008, Congress spelled out the qualifications of the department\u2019s chief scientist, saying that official should come \u201cfrom among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clovis has served as a senior adviser at the Agriculture Department since the earliest days of the Trump administration. About two dozen major farm groups had written lawmakers to support his nomination. They said the department\u2019s researchers didn\u2019t need a peer, they needed someone who could champion their work to the administration and Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clovis said in his letter to Trump that he will remain a devoted and loyal supporter, and that he would continue to serve at the pleasure of the president and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A former Trump campaign official linked to the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller has withdrawn his nomination as the Agriculture Department\u2019s chief scientist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":67792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[106,31,15,68,33],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2265,2952],"class_list":["post-22018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-management","category-leadership","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"5VZAWNQB2JG4ZK566P2ILMPDXE","arc_canonical_url":"\/management\/leadership\/2017\/11\/02\/ex-trump-campaign-official-withdraws-nomination-for-usda-post\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n