President-elect Donald Trump resumed meetings with potential candidates for his administration Monday in New York as his transition office announced additional liaison groups that will work with federal agencies ahead of his January inauguration.
Mr. Trump returned to New York after spending the weekend receiving a parade of visitors at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., including at least three potential Treasury secretary candidates with deep Wall Street experience: billionaire investor Wilbur Ross; Jonathan Gray, global head of real estate at Blackstone Group; and David McCormick, president of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates.
The transition team also announced more so-called landing teams that will begin meeting with top officials at federal agencies to begin the process of handing over the keys to a Trump administration. Among those named were Charter Holdings CEO Ray Washburne, a Republican financier, to liaise with the Department of Commerce. There are some 4,000 executive branch jobs that the new administration will be filling with political appointees.
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All three candidates interviewed over the weekend are in the running for Treasury secretary, said a person familiar with the hiring process. Steven Mnuchin, a member of the transition team's executive committee and a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. partner, is
thought to be the front-runner.
The final decision could hinge on whether Mr. Trump opts for a loyal and known quantity — Mr. Mnuchin was also the finance chairman of his presidential campaign — or looks outside his inner circle.
Mr. Ross, who may be on the short list for Commerce secretary as well, spent about 30 minutes with Mr. Trump, with both men declaring it a “very good meeting.” Mr. Ross, who turns 79 next week, was involved in high-profile bankruptcy restructurings in the 1980s and 1990s, including those of Eastern Airlines and Drexel Burnham Lambert.
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Mr. McCormick, a West Point graduate who served in the first Gulf War, later worked at Treasury and in the White House during the George W. Bush administration.
The “in-depth” discussion with Mr. Gray “included the economy, global capital markets and the world financial situation,” as well as “future legislation regarding the tax code and long-term debt,” Mr. Trump's transition office said in a statement Sunday night.
The Ross meeting covered “negotiating the best foreign deals, American manufacturing and job creation,” as well as “engaging ambassadors to participate in creating more economic opportunities for America,” Mr. Trump's office said.
With Mr. McCormick, Mr. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence talked “global financial markets, currency and the American economy,” and “special emphasis was placed on restoring long-term economic growth rates on an annual basis of 4% to 5%,” Mr. Trump's office said.
