The same day that she met with Donald Trump, former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson wrote in a letter to staff at the South Dakota School of Mines that the transition team contacted her over the possibility of serving in his administration.
NM Political Report confirmed with communications staff the email was sent from Wilson to staff at the South Dakota School of Mines. Wilson has been president at the school since June of 2013.
Wilson sent the email Monday afternoon, after news broke that she was at Trump Tower.
“They asked me to travel to New York to talk to them this morning about possibly becoming the Director of National Intelligence,” Wilson wrote. “I want you to know that I am very happy at Mines. I’m not looking for another job and I did not contact the transition team; they contacted me.”
She said while she did not ask for a spot on the Trump team, “when a President or President-elect asks you to consider whether your gifts could be used in the service of the nation, you have to be willing to consider it.”
A Fox News reporter first reported that Wilson was in the running for the position of the Director of National Intelligence. A more high-profile figure reportedly being considered is former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. Fiorina ran for president this year as a Republican.
“It is certainly an honor to have been asked and I hope you will agree with me that this development reflects well on Mines, the state of South Dakota, and the quality of our entire university system,” Wilson wrote.
The full text of the email is below.
Colleagues, As some of you have seen through press reports already today, late Friday afternoon I was contacted by the President-elect’s transition team. They asked me to travel to New York to talk to them this morning about possibly becoming the Director of National Intelligence. I want you to know that I am very happy at Mines. I’m not looking for another job and I did not contact the transition team; they contacted me.
That said, the security of our country is important to all of us, and when a President or President-elect asks you to consider whether your gifts could be used in the service of the nation, you have to be willing to consider it. It is certainly an honor to have been asked and I hope you will agree with me that this development reflects well on Mines, the state of South Dakota, and the quality of our entire university system. While I let the university leadership team know this morning before my meeting in New York, I wanted to communicate directly with all of you, directly, at this time.
Regards, Heather
