Businessman Philip Bilden, President Trump's pick for Navy secretary, has withdrawn his name from consideration, citing ethics requirements.
In a statement on Sunday, Bilden said the position would cause "undue disruption" to his family's financial interests, and he would not be able to satisfy rules by the Office of Government Ethics. Bilden also said he still "fully supports" Trump's agenda. Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a statement he will make a new recommendation to Trump soon. Earlier this month, Vincent Viola, a businessman and Trump's choice for Army secretary, dropped his bid for that position.
Bilden's prospects had been subject to speculation for a least a week, after CBS News' Major Garrett reported that he was likely to pull his nomination as soon as last weekend. At the time, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer shot down the rumor, tweeting that Garrett's two sources are "wrong. Just spoke with him and he is 100% commited to being the next SECNAV pending Senate confirm."
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