Profile of Paul O' Neill

ByABC News
December 20, 2000, 11:18 AM

Dec. 6 -- Known for outspokenness that sometimes got him into political trouble and perhaps best known to those outside political circles for his fact-finding tour of Africa with the rock singer Bono Paul O'Neill tendered his resignation today as President Bush's Treasury secretary.

O'Neill was sworn in as Treasury secretary on Jan. 20, 2001, the same day as Bush. The economy was seen as sluggish during most of O'Neill's tenure, though presidential insiders were said not to blame him for the problems.

Still, O'Neill's blunt style occasionally rattled opponents and allies alike.

Early on, O'Neill, 67, aroused accusations of potential conflicts of interest when he said he would not sell nearly $100 million in Alcoa stock he aquired during his time as CEO of the company, but he later agreed to sell the stock.

He once described stock traders as "people who sit in front of a flickering green screen" and "not the sort of people you would want to help you think about complex questions," and the U.S. income tax code as "9,500 pages of gibberish." He even angered fellow Republicans when he called a House Republican economic stimulus package "show business."

O'Neill also gained some publicity outside Washington circles in May 2002 during a 10-day tour of Africa with the singer Bono of the rock band U2 to consider the economic plight of Africans.

He continued to make occasionally controversial statements until he tendered his resignation in December 2002 as the U.S. economy continued to struggle.

Public-Private Background

When hired as treasury secretary, O'Neill was thought to bring a mixture of public- and private-sector experience to Washington as a veteran of the Nixon and Ford administrations, and a successful corporate leader who stepped down as chairman of the Alcoa corporation just before joining the Bush administration.

Like many of Bushs Cabinet and staff selections, he was a man with long-standing ties to the Bush family. ONeill is a good friend of Bushs father, former President George Bush.