President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson for nomination to become the next secretary of state, the New York Times reported Monday.
Michael Shear and Maggie Haberman write Tillerson’s Senate confirmation hearings will likely focus on Exxon Mobil’s business relationships with Russia, where the company has billions of dollars in pending oil contracts after the U.S. government imposed economic sanctions on the country.
Exxon has established joint ventures with Russia-backed oil company Rosneft, and supported health and social programs in the country under Tillerson’s leadership, the Times reports.
James Baker III, secretary of state under then-President George H.W. Bush, and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended Tillerson as a candidate for the post, the report says.
