Sorry about the source, but there is barely a mention anywhere else right now. Late Monday night, when many Americans were in bed, President Donald Trump quietly announced his intention to nominate former Washington state senator Don Benton (R) to be director of the Selective Service System, which operates the nation’s military draft.
This was when the problems first came to light.
They started with a White House statement that lauded Benton’s environmental record, and the three years he spent leading the Environmental Services Department in Clark County, Washington.
From the White House:
During his tenure [Benton], reduced the cost of removing hazardous waste from the waste stream while doubling citizen participation and tripling the tonnage of hazardous waste removed. Mr. Benton was also responsible for Clark County certifying more Green Schools than in any other county in Washington State.
Of the 204 words in the announcement, there wasn’t one mention of the military, the draft, or anything related to what the Selective Service System actually does. Nor were there any references to qualifications or experiences that prepare Benton to manage the millions of records in the draft system, or the agency’s roughly $25 million budget.
It was as if the White House had written the statement for a completely different job than the one Benton was being given.
Turns out, that’s exactly what happened.
Benton had originally been expected to fill a top position at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he was part of the Trump “landing team” during the presidential transition.
But this was before Benton began to infuriate his boss, the newly confirmed EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Benton’s habit of interrupting policy discussions to make bizarre comments became so maddening, according to The Washington Post, that senior staff began keeping him out of policy meetings.
More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/don-benton-draft-board_us_58ef89d7e4b0b9e98489e9a0
