BREAKING: Former Texas Governor Rick Perry to be Energy Secretary

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, in Austin, Texas. The felony prosecution against Perry ended Wednesday when the state's highest criminal court dismissed an abuse-of-power indictment that the Republican says hampered his short-lived 2016 presidential bid. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

CBS News’ Major Garrett is now reporting that Rick Perry has been officially selected to head up the Department of Energy. Perry’s name has been floated for a while now.

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He had been summoned to Trump Tower for a meeting Monday to discuss the position after having been contacted over the weekend. The meeting was only finalized on Sunday.

The other contenders for the position were Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Ray Washburne, a key Trump fundraiser, former RNC finance chair, restaurateur and investor in oil and gas operations.

The former Texas governor sits on two corporate boards – one of them is Energy Transfer Partners – and that may present a confirmation issue. Energy Transfer Partners has a subsidiary known as Dakota Access LLC, which is attempting to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. That Dakota Access Pipeline has been the subject of public protests over its potential environmental impact and damage to Native American lands.

In the 2012 primary debates, Perry famously forgot the Department of Energy in a list of departments he wanted to cut. However, Perry is also the governor of a state that produces a lot of energy. It is a big pick up for Perry, and he appears to be the first former Trump opponent to get a job in the administration.

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