Energy Secretary Rick Perry Reportedly Tells Trump He Will Step Down

Topline: Rick Perry, increasingly a more central figure to the House impeachment inquiry, told President Donald Trump on Thursday that he intends to step down as energy secretary, the New York Times reported.

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• Perry's resignation has been anticipated for weeks, even before he became involved in House Democrats' impeachment inquiry, according to the New York Times.
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• Perry has been subpoenaed as part of the impeachment investigation following reports that he may have helped Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani advance his agenda on Ukraine-related issues, including pressuring
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• Perry told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday that Trump directed him to contact Giuliani to discuss corruption in Ukraine, but he said the Bidens weren't mention specifically.

Key background: Perry was a member of Trump's original cabinet in 2016 after he ran for president unsuccessfully and served as Texas' governor from from 2000 to 2015.