Van Jones, an Obama administration official focused on promoting “green jobs”, has resigned amid controversy over past statements, according to the White House.
Jones was under fire from pundits and politicians for derogatory comments about Republicans and signing a 2004 petition that suggested a government link to the 9/11 terror attacks. Jones distanced himself from the petition during an apology issued Thursday. Nevertheless comments by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Friday indicated that Jones had lost the administration’s support. In responding to whether Mr. Obama still had confidence in Jones, Gibbs said only that Jones “continues to work in the administration.”
 Van Jones |
Jones had made him name for himself as a lawyer and community advocate in Oakland, California who sought environmental justice for the poor. His first book, The Green Collar Economy reached number 12 on the New York Times bestseller list after it was released in October 2008.
Van Jones was appointed the Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in March 2009.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH VAN JONES June 23, 2008
Van Jones, a social and environmental activist, believes a greener economy not only could save the planet, but also must provide pathways out of poverty for America’s disadvantaged communities. A civil rights lawyer from Yale University, Jones started promoting the idea of “green-collar jobs” in 2005 through the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California.