White House 'reviewing' Trump Fed pick Stephen Moore's past comments on women

The White House said Monday that it is currently reviewing the past writings of Stephen Moore, who was picked by US President Donald Trump to serve on the Federal Reserve Board.

"Certainly we're reviewing those comments and when we have an update on that front we'll let you know," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters outside the White House, in response to a question about Moore's controversial writings, which have come under scrutiny recently.

CNN, among others, has reported about Moore's past comments disparaging women. In a 2000 column, Moore criticized female athletes advocating for pay equality, saying that they wanted "equal pay for inferior work."

Sanders' remarks came shortly after Moore on Sunday accused several reporters of waging a "smear campaign" against him.

Moore on Sunday told ABC's program "This Week" that he was "apologetic" for the content of some of the humor columns he wrote years ago that have recently sparked controversy, but argued that the focus for the Fed board nomination should be on his economic qualifications.

Larry Kudlow, the director of the White House National Economic Council, reaffirmed the administration's support for Moore on Monday, adding that he is going through the vetting process.

In March, Trump offered a Fed board seat to his former campaign adviser Moore, who has criticized the Fed's tight-money policy, calling it a threat to US economic growth, which echoed the view of the president.

Moore, a visiting fellow for Project for Economic Growth at The Heritage Foundation, and the founder of the conservative Club for Growth, is also the author of the book "Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive our Economy."

Some are concerned that the nomination of Moore, who holds similar views with the president, might undermine the Fed's independence.

Moore has also faced mounting criticism after court documents filed in 2018 surfaced in late March showed that he owed US$75,000 in unpaid federal taxes, interest and penalties.

There are currently two vacancies on the seven-member Fed board, and nominations have to be approved by the Senate.

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, also considered a Trump loyalist, withdrew himself from consideration for a spot on the Fed Board last week after a bipartisan pushback.