REUTERS/Ints Kalnins
Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, told President Donald Trump Thursday he will resign as secretary of energy, according to multiple reports.
Perry drew scrutiny after being entangled in the president’s efforts to push Ukraine officials to investigate the son of a political rival.
Perry’s resignation was anticipated for several weeks, prior to news coming out about his involvement in the Ukraine scandal, in which Trump made efforts to convince the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate a company that formerly worked with Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., according to The New York Times.
Calling Perry a good friend, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement Thursday that he wished his fellow Republican well “as he returns to private life” following a long public career.
“He went from being Texas’ longest-serving governor to heading the Department of Energy, where he was a leading advocate for U.S. energy, including liquefied natural gas,” Perry said. “Under his leadership, U.S. oil and gas production has soared—with much of that new production coming from Texas—and the United States has become a net exporter of natural gas, creating good-paying jobs, providing cleaner and more affordable energy, and boosting America’s energy independence.”
Source: Texas Tribune Blue Left News
