Trump Taps Tillerson As Nation's Top Diplomat, Perry for Energy Secretary
Washington (AP) - President-elect Donald Trump has selected Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to lead the State Department.
That's according to two people close to Trump's transition team.
The decision caps a lengthy process that often played out In public and exposed rifts within Trump's transition team. But Tillerson's close ties to Russia could still complicate his Senate confirmation hearings.
Trump was set to formally announce Tillerson's nomination Tuesday morning. The people close to Trump's transition insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the pick ahead of that announcement.
CBS News is reporting Trump has also selected former Texas Governor and former Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy.
Perry met with the president-elect at Trump Tower on Monday.
According to CBS News, the former governor sits on two corporate boards. One of those is Energy Transfer Partners, of which a subsidiary is attempting to build the Dakota Access Pipeline.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
