Paulson to stay at U.S. Treasury for rest of Bush presidency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Monday he intends to stay on as Treasury chief for the remaining 14 months of the George W. Bush presidency rather than return to the private sector.

In an interview on CNBC Television, Paulson was asked about rumors that he might take over the reins of troubled Citigroup. But he dismissed the possibility out of hand.

"Let me say I'm going to be running full speed here at Treasury right up until the end of President Bush's term, that is what I am focused on and I'm focused on doing everything I can to help the U.S. economy," Paulson said.

(Reporting by Glenn Somerville; Editing by Dan Grebler)