Former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, named by US President
George W. Bush as homeland security secretary, has withdrawn his name from
consideration, the White House announced Friday.
Kerik informed the White House Friday evening of his decision to withdraw his
name from consideration "for personal reasons," White House spokesman Scott
McClellan said in a statement. "The president respects his decision."
Bush nominated Kerik, 49, last week to head the huge Departmentof Homeland
Security (DHS). But reports about Kerik's close ties with a stun gun
manufacturer, which sold weapons to the DHS, quickly emerged and the possibility
of conflict of interest was raised.
Records filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission show Kerik had
earned more than 6.2 million dollars in pretax profits through stock options he
was granted by Taser International, a manufacturer of stun guns.
Kerik sold most of the stocks last month and the White House has said the
former police commissioner would resign from Taser's board and sell his
remaining stock if confirmed by the Senate.
