the political advisor of the Huntsman campaign, regarding Daniels's wife. Eden also stated that Weaver had contacted him about a "seat at the table" of the Huntsman campaign, and further went on to state that Huntsman, then a potential top candidate for the Republican nomination, was himself unaware of Weaver's actions. Eden stated that the potential backlash from Weaver's information was a large contributor to Daniels's decision not to seek the Republican nomination, among other privacy concerns. 2016 presidential speculation In January 2014, the Republican National Committee sent an email to subscribers, asking them to pick their top three presidential choices. The poll included 32 potential candidates, including Daniels. In March 2015, Fortune Magazine named Daniels No. 41 on its list of the world's 50 greatest leaders, generating a new round of calls for Daniels to consider his options in 2016. Daniels was the only American university president and one of two national political figures to make the global list. President of Purdue University Controversy over Selection As Daniels' second term as governor neared an end, a search committee recommended Daniels to the Purdue University Board of Trustees as a candidate to become the university's 12th president. The committee was composed of 14 individuals: 5 members of the faculty, 3 administrators, 4 trustees, a student government leader and William Funk, the CEO of an executive search firm that has recruited hundreds of university presidents. Daniels' selection had the "full endorsement of the search committee" when on June 21, 2012, the Board unanimously elected Daniels to the position. As governor, Daniels had appointed eight of the ten board members and had reappointed the other two, which critics claimed was a conflict of interest. A state investigation released in October 2012 found that the circumstances did not violate the Indiana Code of Ethics. Other critics of his selection pointed out that, unlike all previous Purdue presidents, he lacked experience in academia. His term as president began upon completion of his term as governor in January 2013. In preparation for his term as President of Purdue University, Daniels stopped participating in partisan political activity during the 2012 election cycle and focused instead on issues related to higher education and fiscal matters. Stating his desire to avoid the financial cost of a formal inauguration, Daniels instead wrote an "Open Letter to the People of Purdue" in which he documented the challenges facing higher education