The Washington Post reports that Pritzker, who oversaw Obama's record-breaking fundraising, has concluded that her vast financial holdings cannot be unwound sufficiently to prevent conflicts of interest that come with a job that touches on nearly every aspect of the American economy.
Earlier Thursday The New York Times reported that Pritzker was in the final stages of vetting for the post, although the newspaper said her family's past involvement with a failed bank had raised some concern.
"The issue is whether she ultimately wants to do this, and it may be -- and probably will be -- possible that for business reasons, she probably can't do it," a Democratic source familiar with Obama's Cabinet selection process told the Post. - Bill McConnell
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Bill McConnell is The Deal's Washington bureau chief.
Chicago hotel heiress Penny Pritzker's run as President-elect Barack Obama's likely nominee for commerce secretary appears to have ended almost as soon as it began. 
