White House prepares to nominate Braithwaite as next Navy secretary

The White House announced on Friday that it intends to nominate Kenneth Braithwaite, the ambassador to Norway, as Navy secretary.

If confirmed, Braithwaite would replace Richard Spencer, who President Donald Trump fired in late November over his handling of Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher’s war crimes case. The same day Spencer submitted his resignation letter, Trump announced via Twitter that he would soon nominate Braithwaite to the post.

But in the months since Trump's announcement, doubts have swirled over Braithwaite's future following a CBS News report that he failed to disclose a one-year contract with Cambridge Analytica in his required government disclosure form.

Cambridge Analytica shut down in 2018 following reports that it misappropriated data from tens of millions of Facebook users to flood voters with disinformation in support of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Braithwaite’s claim that he never had a formal contract with the company has satisfied the Senate committee’s leadership, sources tell POLITICO.

Friday's announcement is an intention to nominate. The move isn't official until Braithwaite's paperwork is forwarded to the Senate.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has tentatively scheduled Braithwaite’s confirmation hearing, along with hearings for several other DoD nominees, in early April, according to four current and former officials and congressional aides.

On Monday, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe told reporters that he had not yet spoken with Braithwaite about the Cambridge Analytica issue. However, he noted that he thinks he is the right fit for the spot.

“I think he’s a good choice and I wouldn’t criticize the president for that choice, but it’s not that far enough along yet,” Inhofe said Monday.