US Energy Secretary Rick Perry announces resignation

Washington, October 18

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has announced his resignation amid growing scrutiny of his role in President Donald Trump’s interactions with Ukraine, including a subpoena from the House impeachment inquiry.

In a video posted on YouTube on Thursday night, Perry said his departure would come later this year but did not give an exact date, Efe news reported.

“There is much work to be done in these upcoming weeks and I remain fully committed to accomplishing the goals that I set out to accomplish at the beginning of my tenure,” the 69-year-old said in the video, adding he wanted to return to Texas, “my favourite place in the world”.

At a campaign rally on Thursday night in Dallas, Trump thanked Perry, saying he “couldn’t have done a better job”.

The President added that he had already picked a new Energy Secretary, but stopped short of disclosing the person’s name.

Until recent weeks, Perry had one of the longest and least dramatic tenures in the Trump cabinet. But the former Texas Governor is exiting the political stage as a player in the biggest drama of Trump’s presidency. IANS