President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, admitted that he doesn’t know how Trump’s finances would affect U.S. relations with other countries during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) asked Tillerson during the hearing about his knowledge of Trump’s finances, and Tillerson said he didn’t have any.
“How much information do you have about financial connections between President-elect Trump, the Trump family, or Trump organizations and Russian individuals or organizations or the Russian government?” Kaine asked.
“I have no knowledge,” Tillerson responded.
“And if I asked you the same question and I substituted Turkey, China, Pakistan or Japan for Russia in that question, would your answer be the same?”
“I have no knowledge,” Tillerson repeated.
Watch:
Here’s the rest of the exchange:
Kaine: So I gather from your answer that you’ll then have no way of knowing how actions proposed by a President Trump, regarding those countries or others, would affect his personal or family financial interests.
Tillerson: I have no knowledge.
Kaine: How is a Congress of the American public supposed to fully judge the actions, official actions, proposed by a President Trump if we lack basic information about how those actions may benefit his personal finances?
Tillerson: That’s a question that others will have to address, Senator.
Kaine: You’re aware that government leaders of many of the countries that you dealt with in your capacity as CEO of ExxonMobil have used their positions of leadership to greatly advance their personal wealth while they were in office, correct?
Tillerson: I have no direct knowledge of that.
Kaine: But you’ve read press accounts, for example, about folks like Vladimir Putin, or the leaders of Equatorial Guinea and other nations, suggesting that they have amassed great personal wealth while in office, correct?
Tillerson: I’m aware of the press reports.
Kaine: Do you think that such behavior by a head of government is in accord with values of the United States or contrary to U.S. values?
Tillerson: If the reports are true, and there has been inappropriate taking of funds that belong rightfully to the government and that is not provided for under the government’s laws, then that would be contrary to our values, which are to respect the laws.
Kaine: Should Congress be diligent to make sure that federal officials, including the president, do not use their public positions to amass personal wealth while in office?
Tillerson: That is the standard in the United States, yes, sir.
Kaine: Without full disclosure of the president of all his financial interests, isn’t there a chance you might be across the table in a negotiation setting, say with Russian officials, who know more about the president’s financial interests and exposure than you do?
Tillerson: Not to my knowledge.
Kaine: If that was the case, wouldn’t that put America and our national interests at somewhat of a disadvantage?
Tillerson: If it’s not to my knowledge, it doesn’t really change the way I’m negotiating with them.
Kaine: But if someone on the other side of the table has more knowledge than you do, is that not something that could put you at a disadvantage?
Tillerson: I think as long as the objective of the negotiation is clear. What are we trying to achieve? that’s all that matters, the art of negotiating is just how you achieve that objective.
Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, will be in charge of leading U.S. relations and diplomacy with other countries if he is confirmed to be Trump’s Secretary of State. It’s no surprise that Tillerson says he has no knowledge of Trump’s finances, because Trump has been less than forthcoming about his conflicts of interest.
Trump held a press conference on Wednesday, in which he was meant to address his many conflicts of interest — something he originally promised to do in December. As ThinkProgress has previously reported, questions remain over how his overseas properties will be secured and just how much money he actually owes.
In December, ThinkProgress reported that the Kuwaiti embassy in Washington, D.C. cancelled its National Day celebration at the Four Seasons hotel and instead switched to the Trump International Hotel, due to political pressure.
In September, a Newsweek report revealed the full scale of the Trump Organization’s business in other countries, including India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Russia, Ukraine.
“A close examination by Newsweek of the Trump Organization, including confidential interviews with business executives and some of its international partners, reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians and even criminals, although there is no evidence the Trump Organization has engaged in any illegal activities,” reported Newsweek. “It also reveals a web of contractual entanglements that could not be just canceled. If Trump moves into the White House and his family continues to receive any benefit from the company, during or even after his presidency, almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires.”
Trump still hasn’t released his tax returns, which could provide some clarity on his relations with other countries and their leaders — and help ensure his Secretary of State is upholding U.S. national interests, rather than Trump’s financial interests. Ethics lawyers have reported that unless Trump sells his companies and puts the proceeds in a blind trust, he will be violating the Constitution on his first day as president
This piece previously said Tillerson was the CEO of ExxonMobil. It has been corrected to note that he is the former CEO.