President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the agency that protects U.S. borders was cleared of charges of misconduct and headed for a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, NBC News reported.
Kevin McAleenan was supposed to appear before the Senate Finance Committee in July, but the hearing was "mysteriously postponed" the night before he was due to address the panel.
"Multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News the hearing was delayed after anonymous accusers alleged McAleenan had an affair with a subordinate and bypassed proper channels to fund an immigration detention center," NBC reported.
However, the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security cleared McAleenan of the charges two weeks ago, and the Finance Committee Tuesday morning opened a hearing on his nomination to serve as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. McAleenan is currently serving as acting commissioner.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch noted that the agency is responsible for enforcing U.S. trade laws and protecting the borders.
"There is a great deal of work to be done to improve enforcement, but this mission should not come at the expense of legitimate trade and travel," the Utah Republican said.
"Striking the right balance is vital to ensuring that the United States remains competitive with the rest of the world."
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