Exxon CEO emerges as Trump's top secretary of state candidate

Rex W. Tillerson, the president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has emerged as President-elect Donald Trump's top choice to become secretary of state, according to a person with direct knowledge of the search process.

The news is the latest turn in what has become the most extended drama of Trump's transition effort, with a rotating cast of seeming front-runners to become America's top diplomat. Choosing Tillerson would add to a long list of wealthy businesspeople in high-ranking Trump administration posts.

As Exxon's top official, Tillerson has extensive experience working with foreign leaders. Some of his foreign relationships, especially those with Russia, could come under particular scrutiny during a Senate confirmation hearing.

[Rex Tillerson, Trump's newest secretary of state option, has close ties to Vladimir Putin]

Tillerson, 64, who met with Trump on Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York, has been strongly recommended by a number of business leaders. It is unclear when Trump expects to announce his choice for the job.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has been described by Trump's advisers as still in the running. But Trump has privately said conflicting things on his views of Romney, advisers said, and has indicated to several people that he is unlikely to be named. Romney harshly criticized Trump during the presidential campaign.

Tillerson has worked to strengthen Exxon Mobil's ties with Russia. The company has various joint ventures with the oil giant Rosneft around Russia, and has contributed to social programs in education and health. In 2012, the Russian government awarded Tillerson the country's Order of Friendship decoration.

Western sanctions against Russia prohibiting the nation from certain energy development activities have slowed Exxon Mobil's investments, particularly a joint venture with Rosneft that was supposed to start drilling for oil in the Kara Sea in 2014. Tillerson has spoken out against sanctions, in part because Exxon Mobil is unable to collect revenues from an investment in an oil and gas consortium it belongs to that operates off Sakhalin Island.

In addition, Exxon Mobil has close connections with the Qatari national oil company, and has partnered with the Qataris in building a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Gulf of Mexico coast that is designed for importing gas and possibly for exporting it as well.

Tillerson assumed the role of chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil on Jan. 1, 2006. During his tenure, the company has acknowledged the science underlying climate change and said it supports a carbon tax. It has also expressed support for the Paris climate agreement.

"We believe that addressing the risk of climate change is a global issue," Tillerson said at the company's annual shareholder meeting in May, adding that it would require the cooperation of governments, business and individuals.

By contrast, Trump has called climate change a hoax created by the Chinese for business reasons, and has named a climate change denier, Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, as his choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

Some climate activists said that despite Exxon Mobil's statements on climate change, it could be doing far more.

Jamie Henn, a co-founder of the climate action group 350.org, said that while Exxon Mobil and its representatives had been careful to say they supported the Paris agreement, under which nearly every nation has agreed to reduce emissions, "a read of their public energy assessments make it clear they have no intention of helping the world meet that target or adjust their business plans in that direction."

One initial contender for the secretary-of-state post, Rudy Giuliani, a loyal Trump ally, is no longer in the running after removing his name from contention Nov. 29, according to a statement Friday from the transition team.

"Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American," Trump said in the statement. "I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel. He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date."

Giuliani, a former mayor of New York, will remain on the transition team.

Separately, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest-ranking woman in the House Republican leadership, is expected to be chosen as Trump's secretary of the interior, two people close to the transition efforts said.

McMorris Rodgers is from Washington, a state with large federal land reserves, but she was also critical of Trump at various points during the presidential campaign.

Aides to Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

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John Schwartz and Mark Mazzetti contributed reporting.