Obama Pick as Chief Performance Officer Pulls Out Due to Tax Issue

Laura Meckler reports on the White House. Nancy Killefer , nominated by President Barack Obama to be the federal government’s first chief performance officer, is withdrawing from the post because of a tax problem, an administration official said. A White House spokeswoman said more information would be released later Tuesday. In January, Obama said the appointment of Killefer, an executive at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., was “among the most important that I will make.” Killefer, 55 years old, failed to pay employment taxes on household help, and the District of Columbia had filed a $946 tax lien on her home in 2005 to retrieve $298 in unpaid taxes and fees for the lien itself, an administration official said. Administration officials still believe it should not be a disqualifying issue, but as one said, “This is a personal choice.” Killefer is the third Obama nominee to confront tax problems. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed ... (link)