Revelations of unpaid taxes have resulted in the withdrawal of Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer from nominations to fill roles in the Obama administration. Daschle, said to be Obama's closest Washington mentor, and nominated to be health secretary, and Killefer, who was Obama's choice to become chief performance officer, have both pulled out due to unpaid tax arrears, the Financial Times reports. The news comes just days after the Treasury secretary Tim Geithner was revealed to have only recently cleared more than $40,000 (£28k) of back taxes. Obama has reportedly accepted Daschle's decision with 'sadness and regret'.