Former Goldman exec could lead US Treasury

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK (AA) – The Cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump's began to take shape Monday with names of who could potentially lead the Energy and Treasury departments.

Steven Mnuchin, 53, national finance chairman of Trump's campaign, is considered the leading candidate to head the Treasury Department, Bloomberg reported Monday.

The Yale University graduate was a partner at Goldman Sachs until 2002, where his father worked for three decades.

He later worked for Soros Fund Management and was an executive producer on some of Hollywood blockbusters, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and American Sniper.

Mnuchin would be the third former Goldman Sachs executive to lead the Treasury Department and one of his immediate tasks would be to tackle the country’s growing budget deficit.

The Associated Press said three names have emerged to lead the Energy Department.

Harold Hamm, 70, an oil billionaire from Oklahoma, is a strong supporter of hydraulic fracking. The technique helped the U.S. shale boom since 2008. Trump is also a major supporter of increasing oil and gas production and softening industry regulations.

Kevin Cramer, 55, a congressman from oil-rich North Dakota since 2013, like Trump, supports increasing oil and gas drilling on public lands and lowering taxes for energy companies.

Robert E. Grady, 59, is a former venture capitalist who worked in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush.

Trump's most immediate actions in energy are expected to be a repeal of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, and approving the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline that would carry Canadian crude to the U.S.