Obama's Pick to Be Army's Top Lawyer Withdraws

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Published December 24, 2015

President Obama's pick to be the Army's top lawyer withdrew after failing to disclose Fannie Mae as his former employer in a document submitted as part of his nomination process.

Donald Remy caught heat from the Senate Armed Services Committee for not disclosing his ties to the troubled mortgage giant, instead describing his tenure at Fannie Mae as a 'major U.S. company.'

He had mentioned, by name, other companies for which he has worked on his work history provided to the committee.

Remy called the omission a 'mistake' in a written response to Senate follow-up questions after his confirmation hearing in February.

In a letter Friday obtained by Congressional Quarterly, Remy thanked the president for the opportunity to serve the public.

"I am honored by your confidence in my ability to deal with the critical issues that face our soldiers and their families and I was looking forward to serving in this time of great national crisis," Remy said. "Regretfully, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for this position."

"The president believes that Donald Remy would have been an excellent general counsel of the Army, but understands his personal decision and the choice he has made," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

During his time at Fannie Mae, Remy served as vice president and deputy general counsel for litigation; senior vice president and deputy general counsel; senior vice president and chief compliance officer; and senior vice president, housing and community development.

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