Joe Lieberman drops out of FBI director consideration, becoming fifth person to do so in two weeks
Mr Lieberman says apparent conflicts of interest forced him to remove his name
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Your support makes all the difference.Former Senator Joe Lieberman has withdrawn his name from consideration for FBI director, making him the fifth contender to do so since Donald Trump fired his previous director two weeks ago.
Mr Lieberman said he removed his name because of conflicts of interest posed by Mr Trump’s hiring of attorney Marc Kasowitz, with whom the former senator worked.
Mr Trump had previously told reporters Mr Lieberman was his top pick for the role.
The president, however, created an apparent conflict of interest when he retained Mr Kasowitz to serve as outside counsel for the ongoing investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia.
Sources say Mr Trump was advised to retain outside assistance after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to lead a probe into the any connections.
Mr Lieberman, meanwhile, had previously worked for Mr Kasowitz’s New York-based law firm. An executive order signed by Mr Trump prevents government lawyers from investigating their prior firm’s clients for a period of two years – meaning Mr Lieberman may not have been able to assist in the FBI’s probe into the Trump campaign.
“With your selection of Marc Kasowitz to represent you in the various investigations that have begun, I do believe it would be best to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, given my role as senior counsel in the law firm of which Marc is the senior partner,” Mr Lieberman wrote in a letter to the president.
White House officials confirmed to The Washington Post that the administration also had concerns about nominating a former US senator to a traditionally non-partisan position.
Mr Lieberman ran for vice president on the Democratic ticket in 2000, before returning to the Senate as an Independent.
"It is a very bad idea to appoint a politician to head the FBI right now," Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill tweeted after learning that Mr Lieberman was under consideration. "We need a law enforcement professional. #bipartisan support."
Still others urged Mr Trump to pick a younger candidate, with deeper connections to the FBI, The New York Times reports.
The removal of Mr Lieberman leaves acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating on the White House's short list for consideration.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, Representative Trey Gowdy, former FBI official Richard McFeely, and former Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher have all removed their names from consideration.
“I am grateful for your consideration and I wish you the very best in identifying the right person to lead this important law enforcement agency in the future,” Mr Lieberman wrote in his letter to the president.
Mr Trump will continue his search for a new FBI director when he returns from his trip abroad next week.
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