President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Navy withdrew from consideration on Sunday, saying that meeting the government’s ethics guidelines would require too great a financial sacrifice. 
 
 The nominee, Philip Bilden, a former military intelligence officer who ran the Hong Kong branch of a private equity firm, said in a statement that he had informed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that he did not want to continue to seek confirmation a month after he had been named for the post. 
 
 It was the latest case in which wealthy businesspeople whom Mr. Trump has favored for government jobs have been tripped up by the demands of avoiding conflicts of interest. On Feb. 3, Vincent Viola, a billionaire Wall Street trader and Mr. Trump’s choice for secretary of the Army, withdrew because he decided it was too difficult to detach himself from his business interests. 
 
 Mr. Bilden said in a statement that he fully supported the president’s agenda. But he added, “After an extensive review process, I have determined that I will not be able to satisfy the Office of Government Ethics requirements without undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my family’s private financial interests.” He did not elaborate. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's choice to be secretary of the Navy, businessman Philip Bilden, said Sunday he was withdrawing from consideration for the post, citing concerns about privacy and separating himself from his business interests. 
 
 Bilden's withdrawal raises similar issues to that of Vincent Viola, Trump's nominee for Army secretary who stepped aside earlier this month. Just last week, the Pentagon sought to tamp down reports that Bilden might pull out. 
 
 Bilden was an intelligence officer in the Army Reserve from 1986-1996. He relocated to Hong Kong to set up an Asian presence for HarbourVest Partners LLC, a global private equity management firm. Bilden recently retired from HarbourVest Partners after 25 years. 
 
 In a statement released Sunday by the Pentagon, Bilden said he determined that he would not be able to satisfy the Office of Government Ethics requirements without what he called "undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my family's private financial interests." 
 
 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement that he would make a recommendation to Trump for a nominee in the coming days. 
 
 On Feb. 19, after press reports suggested that Bilden might drop out, the Pentagon issued a statement saying Bilden had assured Mattis he remained committed to serving as Navy secretary if confirmed by the Senate and that Mattis was confident Bilden was "the right leader" to rebuild the Navy and Marine Corps. 
 
 Viola cited his inability to successfully navigate the confirmation process and Defense Department rules concerning family businesses. A military veteran and former Airborne Ranger infantry officer, he was also the founder of several businesses, including the electronic trading firm Virtu Financial. He also owns the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and is a past chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange. ||||| In this image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, commanding officer of Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, speaks to an Afghan official during his visit to Zaranj,... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, commanding officer of Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, speaks to an Afghan official during his visit to Zaranj,... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice Admiral Robert Harward has turned down an offer to be President Donald Trump's new national security adviser, the latest blow to a new administration struggling to find its footing. 
 
 Harward told The Associated Press that the Trump administration was "very accommodating to my needs, both professionally and personally." 
 
 "It's purely a personal issue," Harward said Thursday evening. "I'm in a unique position finally after being in the military for 40 years to enjoy some personal time." 
 
 Asked whether he had requested to bring in his own staff at the National Security Council, Harward said, "I think that's for the president to address." 
 
 Following Flynn's ouster, administration officials said his deputy, KT McFarland, was staying on at the NSC. McFarland is a former Fox News analyst. 
 
 Harward would have replaced retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who resigned at Trump's request Monday after revelations that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about discussing sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the transition. Trump said in a news conference Thursday that he was disappointed by how Flynn had treated Pence, but did not believe Flynn had done anything wrong by having the conversations. 
 
 Harward, a former Navy SEAL, served as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command under Gen. James Mattis, who is now defense secretary. Harward served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and commissioned the National Counter Terrorism Center. 
 
 Upon retirement in 2013 after a nearly 40-year career in the Navy, Harward became chief executive officer for defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates. Trump has recently been in very public negotiations with Lockheed over the cost of its F-35 fighter jet. 
 
 Officials said earlier this week that there were two other contenders in the running for the job: acting national security adviser Keith Kellogg and retired Gen. David Petraeus. 
 
 Petraeus, a retired four-star general, resigned as CIA director in 2012 and pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information relating to documents he had provided to his biographer, with whom he was having an affair. 
 
 He was also fined $100,000 and remains on probation.
– The financier that President Trump nominated to be secretary of the Navy has decided that the job would be too hard on his finances. Philip Bilden, a former military intelligence officer who spent 20 years working in private equity in Hong Kong, cited conflict-of-interest rules when he withdrew from consideration Sunday, reports Reuters. "After an extensive review process, I have determined that I will not be able to satisfy the Office of Government Ethics requirements without undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my family's private financial interests," Bilden said in a statement. The Pentagon and Sean Spicer firmly denied reports earlier this month that Bilden was likely to pull out, the New York Times reports. "Just spoke with him and he is 100% commited (sic) to being the next SECNAV pending Senate confirm," Spicer tweeted on Feb. 18. The AP notes that Bilden's withdrawal is very similar to that of Vincent Viola, Trump's pick for Army secretary. The Wall Street billionaire pulled out on Feb. 3, citing rules concerning family businesses. In a statement, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Bilden had "significant challenges he faced in separating himself from his business interests" and promised to recommend a new Navy candidate within days.