White House plans nominations to key posts, including comptroller of the currency
- The Trump administration plans to nominate former One West CEO Joseph Otting for comptroller of the currency.
- The comptroller of the currency will play a key role in Trump's plan to roll back Dodd-Frank regulations.
- The nomination followed a Trump tweet blaming Democrats for a slow rate of nominees' approvals, despite Republicans controlling the Senate and few named nominations.
White House plans nominations to key posts, including comptroller of the currency
The Trump administration announced plans for long-delayed nominations to key posts, including tapping former One West CEO Joseph Otting for comptroller of the currency.
Otting, whose name first began being floated for the role back in March, worked closely with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at One West, which Mnuchin purchased in 2009.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is an independent agency within the Treasury and is responsible for overseeing the nation's biggest banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.
The position is expected to play a significant role in carrying out U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to roll back regulations — including doing a "number" on the sweeping law known as Dodd-Frank that was implemented following the 2008 financial crisis.
Senate confirmation is required for the role.
Trump has received criticism for moving slowly on a series of senior political appointments, a delay he used a tweet on Monday to blame on Democrats in Congress, despite Republicans controlling both the House and Senate.
Trump has formally nominated 63 of the 559 positions which require Senate confirmation, with 39 confirmed, 16 awaiting nominations and 441 lacking any nominee, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Those totals didn't appear to include the nine planned nominations announced late Monday.
Other planned nominations announced on Tuesday included Owen West, a former marine and a Goldman Sachs alum, to be the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low intensity conflict.
David Pekoske, a former vice commandant with the U.S. Coast Guard, was tapped to be the assistant secretary of homeland security, with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Brian Allen Benczkowski, a partner at the Washington, DC office of law firm Kirkland & Ellis, was tapped for the role of assistant attorney general for the criminal division at the Department of Justice, the press release said.
Steven Bradbury, a litigation partner at Dechert LLP in Washington, DC, was tapped for the role of general counsel of transportation.
—Ylan Mui contributed to this article.