Trump Withdraws Donald Korb’s Nomination for Treasury Position
On Friday, President Trump decided to pull the nomination of Donald Korb for a Treasury Department position amid concerns about Korb’s previous donations to Democratic candidates.
Trump made the announcement through a post, stating, “I am writing to announce that I am withdrawing the nomination of Donald Korb to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Interestingly, the decision came shortly after Laura Loomer raised alarms about Korb’s past political contributions, pushing the President to reconsider the nomination.
There were already reservations among Republicans about Korb. They highlighted his political donations to Democrats, which included significant contributions to Gina Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island and current Biden administration Commerce Secretary, from 2013 to 2019. Raimondo had been active in liberal initiatives and was involved in a coalition to unseat Trump in key regions during the 2020 elections.
During her time as Commerce Secretary, she focused on fully funding her department and supporting progressive spending projects, even organizing the agency’s first “equity town hall.”
Korb has an extensive background, having served as Chief Counsel at the IRS from 2004 to 2008. His previous firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, was noted for its significant contributions to Democratic candidates, reportedly donating nearly $2.7 million, which placed it among the top donors from law firms.
Earlier in his career, he was also a General Counsel at the IRS and played a crucial role in implementing IRS regulations as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
Despite having made donations to some Republican figures, including Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Maine’s Susan Collins, doubts lingered regarding Korb’s allegiance, especially because of his connections to Raimondo and his background under former President Bush. These connections prompted serious questions about his commitment to depoliticizing the IRS.
Korb had previously testified before the Senate Finance Committee, where even Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sided with the Republican majority to push his nomination forward.
