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Pallone on Nomination of Tillerson for Secretary of State

December 13, 2016
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement upon news of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson's expected nomination as Secretary of State."The issues handled by the Secretary of State are of the highest stakes, and they require someone with a deep understanding of international diplomacy and without any conflicts of interest. Rex Tillerson is not that person. The President-elect will argue that Mr. Tillerson's business experience makes him a viable candidate for this position – but it's the wrong experience. "As Chief Executive of ExxonMobil, Mr. Tillerson has been a vocal opponent of sanctions placed on Russia in response to its unwarranted incursion into the Ukraine. He was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship by Mr. Putin himself. In an era in which Russia is increasingly aggressive toward the United States and the west, I wholeheartedly agree with Senator McCain's assessment that Tillerson's close relationship with Putin is a matter of concern. "Beyond the relationship with Putin, Tillerson has deep financial interests in oil fields all over the world through shares in ExxonMobil, many of which aren't scheduled to vest for almost a decade, according to the Wall Street Journal. There is a legitimate question, based on the example of his relationship Putin, as to whether Mr. Tillerson will pursue the best interests of the United States without regard to his financial best interests. "I do not believe Mr. Tillerson is up to the task of being our nation's top diplomat, and I urge the Senate to deny his confirmation." ###