Donald Trump Expands List of Candidates to Head State Department

Donald Trump Expands List of Candidates to Head State Department

by Breitbart News4 Dec 2016


WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expanding his pool of candidates for secretary of state, leaving unclear whether former CIA Director David Petraeus’ guilty plea for leaking classified information disqualifies him to serve as the nation’s top diplomat.
“There’s not a finite list of candidates” for secretary of state, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Sunday. “More than four. Who knows how many finalists there will be?”
The remark comes a week after Trump’s aides confirmed that the president-elect had settled on four finalists for the post. Two people close to the transition told The Associated Press that Trump is moving away from two of the four: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.
That would leave Petraeus as a contender, along with Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Both people close to the transition said Trump’s prolonged decision-making process has left the door open to other options. Among other possibilities, one official says is Jon Huntsman, a former Republican Utah governor who also served as the ambassador to China and speaks Mandarin.
The people close to the transition spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private process publicly.
FBI Director James Comey has drawn a distinction between Petraeus’ case and that of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by saying there was no evidence that Clinton or her aides had intended to break the law through careless handling of sensitive information. Federal prosecutors said Petraeus knew black binders he shared contained classified information, but he nonetheless provided them.
“I made a mistake. I have again acknowledged it,” Petraeus said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” ”Folks will have to factor that in and determine whether that is indeed disqualifying or not.”
The remarks come as Trump struggles to fill one of the most visible and prestigious positions in any presidential administration. The secretary of state will steer Trump’s foreign policy agenda, which the president-elect has said would include renegotiating key trade deals and the pact aimed at keeping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But for all his business acumen, Trump has no experience with government diplomacy. He’s most recently drawn criticism for speaking with Taiwan’s leader that contradicted U.S. practice and prompted a complaint from China.
Petraeus acknowledged that he loaned Paula Broadwell eight binders containing highly classified information regarding war strategy, intelligence capabilities and identities of covert officers. Petraeus kept the binders in an unlocked desk drawer at his home, instead of a secure facility that’s required for handling classified material.
When initially questioned by the FBI, he denied having given Broadwell classified information. Petraeus avoided being charged with making a false statement under his plea deal.
“At the time, I didn’t think it was false,” Petraeus said Sunday.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-expands-list-of-candidates-to-head-state-dept/

This is  another interesting candidate selection..I just heard this morning that Petraeus didn't vote in the last election.  

If he didn't vote, he should not be considered.

Lobo wrote:If he didn't vote, he should not be considered.

As much as I like and respect him...I have to agree!!! If he couldn't make a decision between Hillary & Trump. I would have to revisit his 'brilliance'....      but on the other side, Trump is overlooking a lot from a couple of other candidates....

Good point, and the drama continues.

Lobo wrote:Good point, and the drama continues.

Yes it does...as long as at the end of it, he makes us all proud and the country on the right track, because of his selections!!!