Billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Friday ended his role as a special adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump after facing criticism that his recommendations on policy could help his own investments.
Some Democratic lawmakers and biofuels advocates had argued that Icahn’s policy recommendations to the Republican administration created a conflict of interest with his businesses, including oil refining company CVR Energy Inc.
Icahn denied any conflict of interest.
“I chose to end this arrangement (with your blessing) because I did not want partisan bickering about my role to in any way cloud your administration,” Icahn wrote in a letter to Trump released on his website.
Icahn’s departure came after a flurry of changes at the White House. Trump on Friday fired his chief strategist Stephen Bannon, two days after disbanding two high-profile business advisory groups.
…
