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Rick Perry: US energy secretary quits amid Trump inquiry | Rick Perry: US energy secretary quits amid Trump inquiry |
(30 minutes later) | |
US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who has been drawn into the Trump impeachment inquiry, will resign. | US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who has been drawn into the Trump impeachment inquiry, will resign. |
President Donald Trump has confirmed the former Texas governor will depart his administration. | President Donald Trump has confirmed the former Texas governor will depart his administration. |
Mr Perry's exit had been rumoured for months even before he became entangled in a controversy over Ukraine. | Mr Perry's exit had been rumoured for months even before he became entangled in a controversy over Ukraine. |
US lawmakers are scrutinising Mr Perry's role in efforts to pressure Ukraine's president to investigate Mr Trump's political rival, Joe Biden. | US lawmakers are scrutinising Mr Perry's role in efforts to pressure Ukraine's president to investigate Mr Trump's political rival, Joe Biden. |
At an event in Texas, Mr Trump said: "He's [Rick Perry] been outstanding and we already have his replacement, Rick has done a fantastic job at energy. | At an event in Texas, Mr Trump said: "He's [Rick Perry] been outstanding and we already have his replacement, Rick has done a fantastic job at energy. |
"But it was time, three years is a long time, and he'll be leaving towards the end of the year." | "But it was time, three years is a long time, and he'll be leaving towards the end of the year." |
Mr Perry was one of three US officials - dubbed the Three Amigos - who had influence over US policy on Ukraine. | |
On Wednesday, Mr Perry refused to say whether he would comply with a subpoena from Democratic impeachment investigators in Congress who are probing whether Mr Trump illegally sought to have Ukraine open an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. | |
In a 2011 campaign for the presidency, during a live TV debate, Mr Perry forgot the name of a government department that he planned to abolish. | |
The name of the agency that had slipped his mind was the energy department. | |
But as Trump energy secretary, he presided over a significant expansion of the department's budget, while championing a surge in US fossil fuel output. | |
During the 2016 election season Mr Perry's hopes once again quickly fizzled. | |
He had called Mr Trump's candidacy "a cancer on conservatism", only to ultimately join his administration. |