President-elect Barack Obama is expected to appoint Eric Holder as attorney general, reports said Tuesday, while former president Bill Clinton made concessions for a possible appointment of Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) as Secretary of State.
According to Newsweek magazine, Holder accepted Obama's nomination, though the Obama transition team did not immediately have any comments on the report. Holder had previously served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration.
"Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted," Newsweek reported. "The announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments."
If Congress approves his appointment, Holden would become the first African-American attorney general.
Meanwhile, sources close with the Obama transition team said that Bill Clinton was offering a series of concessions in a possible bid for his wife, Hillary Clinton, to be selected by Obama as Secretary of State.
Reportedly, former president Clinton agreed to reveal the names of several major donors to his charitable foundation. He will also submit to an ethics review future foundation activities and paid speeches.
Furthermore, those close to the Obama transition team said former president Clinton would step away from the day-to-day responsibilities of his foundation if Obama appointed Senator Clinton. He would also alert the State Department to any new sources of income.
Senator Clinton's name had been brought up a lot in recent days as a possible choice for the position. During this time, Obama's transition team has apparently been conducting reviews of former president Clinton's international business deals and fundraising.
Senator Clinton had been President-elect Obama's biggest competitor during the Democratic presidential primaries earlier in the year, running what many considered to be a largely negative campaign against Obama. She dropped out of the race on June 7, a little over a month before the Democratic National Convention where Obama became the official Democratic nominee.
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