Reuters - Obama budget official withdraws for tax reasons

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Obama budget official withdraws for tax reasons

Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009 4:23PM UTC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's choice to oversee budget and spending reform, Nancy Killefer, withdrew her nomination on Tuesday because of tax reasons, according to a letter released by the White House.

"I recognize that your agenda and the duties facing your Chief Performance Officer are urgent," Killefer wrote in the letter to the president, asking for her nomination to be withdrawn.

"I have also come to realize in the current environment that my personal tax issue of D.C. Unemployment tax could be used to create exactly the kind of distraction and delay those duties must avoid."

Tax problems are plaguing Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader selected by Obama to spearhead U.S. healthcare reform.

(Reporting by David Alexander and Jeff Mason; Editing by Eric Walsh)