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Trump’s pick to lead DEA withdraws from consideration

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES
                                In a photo provided by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, Fla., is seen during a press conference in July 2020 President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chad Chronister, said today he was withdrawing from consideration.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES

In a photo provided by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, Fla., is seen during a press conference in July 2020 President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chad Chronister, said today he was withdrawing from consideration.

WASHINGTON >> President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chad Chronister, said today he was withdrawing from consideration.

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set it, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister, a Florida sheriff, said in a post on X.

Trump announced his intention to nominate Chronister to lead the DEA on Sunday, saying he would focus on stemming the flow of fentanyl across the U.S. border with Mexico. The agency is part of the Justice Department and is responsible for enforcing U.S. drug laws.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be his attorney general last month after his initial pick to lead the Justice Department, former Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration over concerns about his previous conduct.

Trump’s transition team said it reached an agreement today with the Justice Department that will allow it to submit names for background checks and security clearances, needed for access to classified information.

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