WASHINGTON — John C. Rood, the Protection Division’s high coverage official, is the newest member of President Trump’s nationwide safety group conc
WASHINGTON — John C. Rood, the Protection Division’s high coverage official, is the newest member of President Trump’s nationwide safety group concerned within the Ukraine matter to depart the federal government.
Mr. Rood, the underneath secretary of protection for coverage, will step down on the finish of February, the division’s press secretary, Alyssa Farah, stated Wednesday.
Mr. Rood was a part of the group on the Protection Division that advised Congress final yr that Ukraine had made the mandatory reforms to justify sending the country $250 million in promised safety help. The certification was extensively seen as undermining a key argument Mr. Trump’s protection group made throughout his impeachment battle: that Mr. Trump withheld the help as a result of he was involved about corruption in Ukraine.
Mr. Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled Home however acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate. Since his acquittal, the president has moved swiftly to purge administration officers whose presentation of occasions didn’t align together with his personal.
Mr. Rood’s departure, reported earlier by CNN, was not completely sudden; he and Protection Secretary Mark T. Esper have been identified to conflict incessantly early of their careers, and Mr. Esper was anticipated to fireside him when he turned Protection Secretary final yr. However the dearth of revered nationwide safety coverage consultants keen to work for Mr. Trump has made it troublesome for administration officers to fill jobs.
James H. Anderson, the performing deputy underneath secretary of protection for coverage, can be taking up Mr. Rood’s duties till a alternative is appointed by the president, the division stated.