Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 7/17/18

President Donald Trump on Monday evening nominated Scott Hutchins to be USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics — the position Trump campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis had been selected for before withdrawing from consideration last fall. Hutchins is the global head of integrated field sciences for Corteva Agriscience, the new name of the agriculture division of DowDuPont. Hutchins, also an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska, would serve as USDA's top scientist if he is confirmed by the Senate.

Clovis never received a confirmation hearing after prompting several controversies, particularly around his skepticism of climate science and his apparent lack of the scientific credentials legally required for the undersecretary post. Clovis also came under scrutiny over his past inflammatory comments about blacks, women and progressives.

He ultimately withdrew from consideration in early November after George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser whom Clovis had supervised, struck a plea deal on charges that he lied to FBI investigators about his communications with Russia-linked contacts. But Clovis stayed on as an adviser at the USDA until he left the administration in early May to return home to Iowa after serving as USDA's liaison to the White House for more than a year.