Kellyanne Conway’s husband, George Conway, has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the Justice Department’s Civil Division chief, according to reports.
Reuters reports that George Conway concluded it was “not the right time for me to leave the private sector.” Conway currently works as a lawyer at the New York firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
The law news website Above the Law said Conway sent a letter to the White House on Wednesday withdrawing his name. Conway reportedly shared news of his withdrawal in a statement to colleagues.
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“I am profoundly grateful to the President and to the Attorney General for selecting me to serve in the Department of Justice,” he wrote.
“I have reluctantly concluded, however, that, for me and my family, this is not the right time for me to leave the private sector and take on a new role in the federal government.”
The Trump administration had previously considered Conway, the husband of presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, for the role of solicitor general, but ultimately chose Noel Francisco for the job.
The position of Justice Department civil head would be responsible for defending Trump’s travel ban, which has been blocked in federal court. The administration announced this week it would seek to defend the ban in the Supreme Court.
Updated: 2:59 p.m.