As Rex Tillerson's No. 2 at the State Department, John Sullivan will bring substantial federal government experience to the Trump administration. | Getty Images Trump to nominate John Sullivan as Tillerson's No. 2 at State

President Donald Trump will nominate lawyer and former Bush administration official John Sullivan to serve as Rex Tillerson's No. 2 at the State Department, the White House announced Tuesday.

Sullivan, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP, a law firm based in Washington, D.C., served as deputy secretary of commerce under former President George W. Bush until 2009. Before that, he served as general counsel from 2005 to 2007.


The White House noted that Sullivan co-chairs Mayer Brown's national security practice and serves as chairman of the United States-Iraq Business Dialogue, a committee aimed at boosting economic relations between the two countries.

As Tillerson's No. 2 at the State Department, Sullivan will bring substantial federal government experience to the Trump administration, despite never having served for State.

Beyond his stints with the Commerce Department, Sullivan also served as general counsel for the Defense Department and as a legal assistant to former Assistant Attorney General Michael Luttig at the Justice Department under former President George H.W. Bush.

The White House on Tuesday also announced plans for several other federal nominations, including Marshall Billingslea as assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the Treasury Department, Gilbert Kaplan for undersecretary of commerce for international trade, and John Marshall Mitnick for general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security.